Synonyms for owing
Antonyms for owing
EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR OWING
Made rather a late start, owing to some of the horses straying.
But, if I do not ask, they may allege, that my not going is owing to myself.
It was unfortunate as to time, owing to the condition of affairs in Italy.
The office had been closed, owing to a death, and Palmer was in possession of a holiday.
The Causses, owing to their isolated position, may be said to have escaped a history.
Owing to the time of the year and to the abominable weather there were hardly any passengers.
My steadiness was owing, in a great measure, to the following circumstances.
We are informed that the solemnization of it was owing to a miracle.
Your distress is owing to the vast disparity between you and them.
All his trouble, and mine too, is owing to his faulty character.
WORD ORIGIN
Old English agan (past tense ahte) "to have, own," from Proto-Germanic *aiganan "to possess" (cf. Old Frisian aga, Old Norse eiga, Old High German eigan, Gothic aigan "to possess, have"), from PIE *aik- "to be master of, possess" (cf. Sanskrit ise "he owns," isah "owner, lord, ruler;" Avestan is- "riches," isvan- "well-off, rich").
Sense of "to have to repay" began in late Old English with the phrase agan to geldanne literally "to own to yield," which was used to translate Latin debere (earlier in Old English this would have been sceal "shall"); by late 12c. the phrase had been shortened to simply agan, and own (v.) took over this word's original sense.
An original Germanic preterite-present verb (cf. can, dare, may, etc.). New past tense form owed arose 15c. to replace oughte, which developed into ought (v.).