Avowen

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To declare or affirm something with authority and conviction
2. To state or profess something openly and with earnest assurance
3. To assert or proclaim something as true with solemn commitment

Etymology: In medieval English law, to "avow" was a formal act. When a lord seized goods from a tenant, the tenant could respond by avowing the seizure: openly acknowledging the act and justifying it by the lord's right. The verb came into English from Old French "avouer," which descends from Latin "advocare," "to call to" or "summon." That same Latin root gave us "advocate," so the two words share an ancestor even though their meanings have drifted far apart. Earlier English spellings, such as the Middle English "avowen" with its infinitive ending, appear in medieval texts before spelling settled. Modern readers often confuse "avow" with "vow," but they come from different Latin words. "Vow" derives from "votum," a solemn promise, while "avow" comes from "advocare." Their similar spellings are a coincidence of history.