Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “baggage” come from?

Baggage comes from Middle English bagage, from Old French bagage, formed with the Old French suffix -age derived from Latin -aticum, itself from the Latin adjectival suffix -aticus, which traces back through Latin -icus to Proto-Indo-European -kos and -eh₂tos.

baggage (English): Luggage; traveling equipment; Factors, especially...

Definitions

  1. Luggage; traveling equipment; Factors, especially...

Ancestry of “baggage”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbagagebaggage; luggage
2Old Frenchbagagebaggage
3Old Norsebaggibag, pack, satchel, bundle
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰak-—

Words derived from “baggage”

  • baggageman
  • baggagemaster
  • baggager
  • baggageless
  • baggage carousel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰak- →