Sown

Sown is the past participle of the verb sow, meaning to plant seeds in the ground or spread seeds over a surface. It is often used as an adjective, as in a sown field or the crops sown last autumn. For the simple past, many writers and speakers use sowed, while sown appears with perfect tenses and passive constructions (for example, the field has been sown or the seeds were sown yesterday).

Etymology: The verb sow derives from Old English sēwan, from Proto-Germanic roots related to sowing in various Germanic languages. It is distinct from the noun sow (the pig), which has a different origin.

In agriculture, sowing is the process of placing seeds in the soil for germination. Methods include broadcasting seeds across a field or drill sowing, where seeds are placed in furrows at a controlled depth. Sown crops include cereals, legumes, vegetables, and forage plants, and germination depends on moisture, temperature, and soil conditions.

In figurative use, "sown" can describe seeds of ideas or effects planted earlier, as in "doubts were sown" or "discord sown among the troops." The phrase "to sow seeds" remains common in idiomatic expressions.