Where does “indenture” come from?

Indenture comes from Old French endenter, meaning to notch or indent, via Old French endenteure, a noun form describing a notched or toothed arrangement.

indenture (English): A contract which binds a person to work for...

Definitions

  1. A contract which binds a person to work for...

Ancestry of “indenture”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchendenture
2Old Frenchendenteure
3Old Frenchendenterto provide with teeth
4Latindēnsa tooth
5Italiandentetooth; cog, prong
6Latindenstooth; a spike, prong, or any tooth-like...
7Proto-Italicdentstooth
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃dóntstooth
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁ed-to eat

Words derived from “indenture

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁ed-
indenture — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer