sow
Does the sow sow oats in the field?
The sentence asks whether an adult female pig is planting oats — 'sow' the noun (pig) followed by 'sow' the verb (plant seeds).
Meanings
an adult female pig, especially one used for breeding
- The sow farrowed eight piglets.
- Sows can weigh up to 700 pounds.
to plant seeds in or scatter on the ground
- Farmers sow wheat in autumn.
- He sowed doubt with his careful questions.
Word origin
Two etymologically distinct words: 'sow' the female pig /saʊ/ is from Old English sugu, from Proto-Germanic *sugō. 'Sow' the verb (to plant) /soʊ/ is from Old English sāwan, from Proto-Germanic *sēaną. The two have completely separate origins; the spelling convergence is a coincidence of how Old English sounds developed in Modern English.
Fun fact
The phrase 'sow's ear' (as in 'you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear') uses 'sow' the pig /saʊ/. The proverb 'as you sow, so shall you reap' uses 'sow' the verb /soʊ/. The two words are different in pronunciation, meaning, and etymology — but writers occasionally pun on them anyway.