c. 1300, covenaunt, "mutual compact to do or not do something, a contract," from Old French covenant, convenant "agreement, pact, promise" (12c.), originally present participle of covenir "agree, meet," from Latin convenire "come together, unite; be suitable, agree," from com- "together" (see com-) + venire "to come," from a suffixed form of PIE root *gwa- "to go, come."
In law, "a promise made by deed" (late 14c.). Applied in Scripture to God's arrangements with man as a translation of Latin testamentum, Greek diatheke, both rendering Hebrew berith (though testament also is used for the same word in different places). Meaning "solemn agreement between members of a church" is from 1630s; specifically those of the Scottish Presbyterians in 1638 and 1643 (see covenanter).
"to enter into a formal agreement or contract," c. 1300, from covenant (n.). Related: Covenanted; covenanting. Also see covenanter.
"one who enters into a solemn agreement," 1630s, agent noun from covenant (v.). It was used especially in reference to Scottish Presbyterians who signed the Solemn League and Covenant (1643) for the defense and furtherance of their cause and for uniformity of doctrine, worship and discipline. The word later was applied to the extremists who rejected the settlement of 1688.
*gwā-, also *gwem-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to go, come."
It forms all or part of: acrobat; adiabatic; advent; adventitious; adventure; amphisbaena; anabasis; avenue; base (n.) "bottom of anything;" basis; become; circumvent; come; contravene; convene; convenient; convent; conventicle; convention; coven; covenant; diabetes; ecbatic; event; eventual; hyperbaton; hypnobate; intervene; intervenient; intervention; invent; invention; inventory; juggernaut; katabatic; misadventure; parvenu; prevenient; prevent; provenance; provenience; revenant; revenue; souvenir; subvention; supervene; venire; venue; welcome.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit gamati "he goes," Avestan jamaiti "goes," Tocharian kakmu "come," Lithuanian gemu, gimti "to be born," Greek bainein "to go, walk, step," Latin venire "to come," Old English cuman "come, approach," German kommen, Gothic qiman.
"an agreement between persons or parties," early 15c., from Old French pacte "agreement, treaty, compact" (14c.) and directly from Latin pactum "agreement, contract, covenant," noun use of neuter past participle of pacisci "to covenant, to agree, make a treaty," from PIE root *pag- "to fasten." Related: Paction "act of making a pact."
late 15c., "a covenant or agreement," from French convenance "convention, agreement, convenience," from convenant, present participle of convenir "to come together; join, fit, suit" (see convene). Meaning "conventional propriety" is from 1847.
