the.com/vows
the promises you make at your best to govern you at your worst
means Solemn, binding promises—especially the formal ones spoken at a wedding or on entering religious life.
from From Old French 'vou' or 'vo,' which came from Latin 'votum,' meaning a vow, promise, or thing solemnly pledged to a god. 'Votum' was itself born from 'vovere,' 'to vow' or 'to dedicate'—the same root that gives us 'devote' and 'votive' (as in a votive candle, a little flame standing in for a promise made). At its heart, a vow was always something offered upward, a word given that you didn't expect to take back.
- medieval origin
- From Latin votum, also the root of vote
- silent versions
- Trappist monks swear vows of near-total silence
- renewal boom
- Couples now redo vows to reset stale marriages
- legal weight
- Spoken vows once sealed deals without paperwork