devotare

Devotare is a Latin verb of the first conjugation meaning to devote, to dedicate, to vow, or to consecrate. It can refer to devoting time or effort to a person, cause, or task, as well as dedicating an object or place to a deity or sacred purpose. In English translations, devotare is typically rendered as devote, dedicate, vow, or consecrate, depending on the context.

Grammatically, devotare is regular for a 1st-conjugation verb. Its principal parts are devotō, devotāre, devotāvī, devotātum. From these, standard first-conjugation endings are used to form the full tense system. For example, the present active indicative forms follow the typical pattern: devotō, devotās, devotat, devotāmus, devotātis, devotant.

Usage and nuance: In Classical Latin, devotare is relatively uncommon and is encountered more often in Late Latin and ecclesiastical prose, where it conveys dedication or consecration to a god or sacred purpose, or the act of devoting oneself or one’s resources to a task or cause. It can take a direct object to indicate what is being devoted (aliquid) and a dative or reflexive construction to indicate to whom the devotion is directed (alicui or se). The term is closely related to related vocabularies such as votum, votare, and devotio, which capture related ideas of vow, dedication, and devotion.