endowment
/ɪnˈdaʊmənt/
noun
Origin
Old French
endouer — to provide with a dowry
Overview
Meaning Now
- The action of endowing or providing a fund or permanent source of income to an institution or individual.
- A quality or ability possessed or inherited by someone; a natural gift.
Literal older meaning
The act of providing a dowry or settlement
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
endowment
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
The term originates from the legal and social practice of 'endowing' a spouse or a church. In medieval law, an endowment referred specifically to the property (a dowry) settled upon a wife for her support should she outlive her husband. By the 17th century, the term expanded to include institutional funding and later, natural talents.
Evolution
- Latin (Late)
indotare
“to endow”
Prefix in- + dotare (to dower).
- Old French
endouer
“to provide a dowry”
Evolution from Latin indotare.
- Middle English
endowen
“to give a dowry or grant”
Adapted from Old French.
- Early Modern English
endowment
“a gift or source of income”
Addition of the nominal suffix -ment.
Connections
Word parts
endow
root
to provide with a source of income or a quality
-ment
suffix
suffix forming nouns from verbs denoting an act, state, or product
Related across languages
French
dotation
endowment or grant
Italian
dotare
to endow
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Related to endowment
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.