endow vs bequeath (plz help)

[juliana0403]

Please see the following sentence.

An 72-year-old Danish woamn who has no living relatives ________ her money to an animal park with the specific requirement that the money
benefit the zoo's chimps.

(A) endowed
(B) bequeathed

Answer is "B" What is the difference between "endow" and "bequeath"?

Why "endowed" is not proper as an answer?

[DavyBCN]

Originally Posted by juliana0403

Please see the following sentence.
An 72-year-old Danish woamn who has no living relatives ________ her money to an animal park with the specific requirement that the money
benefit the zoo's chimps.
(A) endowed
(B) bequeathed
Answer is "B" What is the difference between "endow" and "bequeath"?
Why "endowed" is not proper as an answer?

The answer is B because to bequeath means to specify what happens to your money and estate after you die. To endow could be used in this sense, but it is more commonly used to give money to a person or organisation, usually for a specific purpose, during your life time. It is a very common practice in the USA for wealthier people to give money, often over a period of years, to endow, for example, a hospital ward. So this would be a regular and often long-term donation. It is perfectly possible that a bequest could be used to endow something after your death.

[Humble]

Hi,
Besides, there is another thing that only requires bequeath -the preposition to. The collocation endow to sth I think is impossible.
Bye

[DavyBCN]

Originally Posted by Humble

Hi,
Besides, there is another thing that only requires bequeath -the preposition to. The collocation endow to sth I think is impossible.
Bye

My Longman's Dictionary of Contemporary English says that you can endow something to something, but I doubt that this is commonly used.