devotion
UK[dɪˈvəʊʃn]US[dɪˈvoʊʃn]
n
Strong love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause.
n
The action of spending a lot of time or energy on a particular activity.
n
Religious worship or observance.
Morpheme Breakdown
de
vot
ion
de
completely
vot
to vow
ion
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'devotion' originates from the Latin 'dēvōtiōnem', the noun of action from 'dēvovēre', meaning "to consecrate by a vow." This Latin verb is composed of the intensive prefix 'dē-' and 'vovēre' ("to vow"). The core concept is one of being completely given over or dedicated through a solemn promise, initially in a religious context of offering oneself to a deity. Over time, the sense of solemn dedication broadened from the purely religious sphere to encompass profound loyalty, love, or commitment to any person or pursuit, while retaining its connotation of wholehearted, self-sacrificing focus.
Analysis
Structure: de (completely) + vot (to vow) + ion (noun suffix)
- de: A Latin prefix meaning "completely, down from, away."
- vot: From the Latin root 'vot-', stemming from 'vovēre' meaning "to vow, to promise solemnly."
- ion: A suffix of Latin origin forming nouns denoting action or condition.
Examples
Her devotion to her family was unwavering.
He practices the piano with great devotion.
The monks gathered for their morning devotion.