Etymology: < avow v.², on analogy of vow v.¹, vow n.(In Old French the two verbs avouer seem to have been quite identified (compare alouer allow v.). The noun aveu , whose form is best explained by comparing it with veu , vœu < Latin vōtum , seems to belong in sense to avouer < advocāre ; whereas the English noun avow was in early times used only in sense of avow v.² < *advōtāre. The connection of the English with the French noun is thus rendered doubtful.)

Etymology: substantive use of avow v.¹

Etymology: < Old French avoue-r, avoer < Latin advocāre to call to, call upon; esp. to call in as a defender or patron (compare advocate n.): hence, in feudal times, to call upon or own as defender, patron, client, or person in some way related, to acknowledge as ours in some relation; afterwards extended to things. Often semi-latinized to advow in 15–16th cent., a corruption which has become permanent in the derivative advowson n. Compare avouch v.

Etymology: < ? Old French avoue-r, avoer (Palsgrave aduouer), < à to + vouer < late Latin vōtāre (compare Provençal vodar, and classical Latin dēvōtāre), frequentative of vovēre, vōtum, to vow. Already in Old French the two verbs avouer were confounded; Littré has only that < advocāre.