Learn English – Difference between “devotement” and “devotion”

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I had never seen or heard of the word "devotement" until reading it in my Chinese girlfriend's brother's college application essay. To me, it's always been "devotion." However, I noticed that Google Drive was not marking it as an unknown word, so I looked it up on Google. Turns out it's defined in plenty of online dictionaries with a definition equivalent to that of "devotion." It even exists in thesauruses. But for the life of me, I could not find something that talked about when you would use "devotement" instead of "devotion", or how such a similar word ended up in usage. Even now, Chrome's spell check doesn't like that I've placed "devotement" in this paragraph. Why Drive's spellcheck doesn't complain when Chrome's does… only adds to the mystery for me.

Can anyone clear this up for me? Why does "devotement" exist? When would one use it?

Best Answer

Devotement is an outdated, less common variant of devotion:

  • The action of devoting, or fact of being devoted; devotion, dedication.
    • 1604 Shakes. Oth. ii. iii. 322 He hath deuoted, and giuen vp himselfe to the Contemplation, marke, and deuotement of her parts and Graces.
    • 1852 Wayland Mem. Judson (1853) i 29 His own personal devotement to the missionary cause.

OED

Ngram: devotement vs devotion.

Ngram: devotement.

It origin is probably due to the practice of adding the suffix -ment to verbs to form nouns which starred from the 16th century:

-ment :

  • suffix forming nouns, originally from French and representing Latin -mentum, which was added to verb stems sometimes to represent the result or product of the action. French inserts an -e- between the verbal root and the suffix (as in commenc-e-ment from commenc-er; with verbs in ir, -i- is inserted instead (as in sent-i-ment from sentir).

  • Used with English verb stems from 16c. for example merriment, which also illustrates the habit of turning -y to -i- before this suffix).

(Etymonline)

Devotion (n.) has an older origin:.

  • early 13c., from Old French devocion "devotion, piety," from Latin devotionem (nominative devotio), noun of action from past participle stem of devovere "dedicate by a vow, sacrifice oneself, promise solemnly,"

From which devote (verb)

  • 1580s, from Latin devotus, past participle of devovere (see devotion). Second and third meanings in Johnson's Dictionary (1755) are "to addict, to give up to ill" and "to curse, to execrate; to doom to destruction."

and later (17th century) "devotement".

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