obedient

Where does the word "obedient" come from? It comes from Latin audire, passing through Latin and Old French before entering English (1300s).

Obedient’s story begins in Latin: audire meant “to hear.” To hear, combined with ob- (toward). Within Latin, it grew into oboedire by ancient. To give ear to, to obey, from ob- (toward) and audire (to hear). From there it passed into Old French as obedient by medieval. Carried into French for readily complying with instructions. It reached English by 1300s as obedient. Settled as the English word for complying with orders or authority. Today, obedient means complying with or submissive to authority or instructions.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient audire "to hear", to hear, combined with ob- (toward).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient oboedire "to give ear to, to obey", to give ear to, to obey, from ob- (toward) and audire (to hear).
3. Stage 3 · Old French · medieval obedient "readily complying with instructions", carried into French for readily complying with instructions.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1300s obedient "complying with orders or authority", settled as the English word for complying with orders or authority.