A formal, serious promise to tell the truth or to do something, often made in front of a witness or in a legal setting.
From Old English 'āþ,' related to German 'Eid.' The word is ancient, found in Germanic languages, and possibly connected to root words meaning 'to bind.' Oaths have been binding ceremonies across cultures for thousands of years.
In ancient times, people believed breaking an oath would anger the gods—so oaths weren't just promises, they were magical contracts with cosmic consequences. That's why even today, witnesses in court swear on the Bible: we're still living with the ancient idea that oaths are sacred.
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