Where does “engage” come from?
engage (English) comes from Middle English engagen, from Old French engagier, from Old French gage, from Frankish waddī, from Latin wadium, from Frankish wadi, from Proto-Germanic wadją, from Proto-Indo-European wedʰ- — to bind, to secure; to pledge, to guarantee; to...
engage (English): Someone serving under a contract of engagement;...
Definitions
- Someone serving under a contract of engagement;...
Ancestry of “engage”, step by step
engage traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English engagen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | engagen | — |
| 2 | Old French | engagier | to use as a guarantee |
| 3 | Old French | gage | wage; payment |
| 4 | Frankish | waddī | — |
| 5 | Latin | wadium | pledge; legal contract; marriage contract |
| 6 | Frankish | wadi | wager, stake, pledge |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | wadją | wager, stake, pledge |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wedʰ- | to bind, to secure; to pledge, to guarantee; to... |
via French engagé
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | engagé | past participle of engager |