Oath

How to spell oath

4 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce oath

What does oath mean?

1. nounA solemn promise, often invoking something sacred or a legal duty, that binds a person to truth or a course of action.

Oath in a sentence

• The witness took an oath before giving evidence in court.

• Every new doctor swears an oath to care for patients responsibly.

Where does oath come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a native English word descending from Old English āth, which already meant a solemn promise sworn before witnesses or a deity. It belongs to a wide Germanic family, with close relatives such as Old Norse eiðr, Old High German eid, and Gothic aiþs, all carrying the same sense of a binding sworn declaration. Scholars trace these forms back to a common Germanic root, and some link it further to a Celtic word for an oath, though that older connection is uncertain. The spelling kept the digraph 'th' that English uses for the soft sound at the end, while the vowel softened over the centuries from the long 'a' of Old English into the modern 'oh' sound. The plural and the verb both add a simple ending, but the singular stays neatly four letters, which is what trips writers who expect a longer, more elaborate-looking word for such a weighty idea.

How the word is built

• oath (from Old English āth: a solemn promise); single root, no affixes