Examples of devoir in a sentence
<patient confidentiality has long been an integral part of a physician's professional devoir>
Did You Know?
Devoir was borrowed twice, in a manner of speaking. We first borrowed it in its Anglo-French form, dever, back in the days of Middle English. As is so often the case when an adopted word becomes established in English, its pronunciation shifted to conform to English pronunciation standards. The French put the stress on the last syllable, but English speakers stressed the first. One hundred or so years later, some writers changed the English spelling to "devoir" to match the modern French. That French borrowing was actually pronounced like French (as well as English speakers could, anyway)-just as it is today.
Origin and Etymology of devoir
alteration of Middle English dever, devoir, from Anglo-French, from deveir, devoer to owe, be obliged, from Latin debēre — more at debt
First Known Use: 14th century
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