Dotate

/ˈdoʊteɪt/ verb

Definition

To provide with a dower or dowry; to endow (archaic legal term).

Etymology

From Medieval Latin 'dotare', derived from 'dos' (dowry). This verb form appears in medieval English legal documents but became obsolete as marriage and property law changed.

Kelly Says

This verb is completely extinct in modern English, replaced by 'endow' or 'dower', but it survives in historical documents—linguistic archaeology shows us that entire classes of words can vanish when the cultural practices they described disappear.

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