Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “obliger” come from?

obliger (English) comes from English oblige, from Middle English obligen, from Old French obligier, from Latin obligō, from Latin ob-, from Latin obolus, from Ancient Greek ὀβολός, from Ancient Greek ὀβελός — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.

obliger (English): One who, or that which, obliges

Definitions

  1. One who, or that which, obliges

Ancestry of “obliger”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishobligeTo constrain someone by force or by social, moral...
2Middle EnglishobligenTo oblige; to compel to do something or behave a...
3Old Frenchobligier—
4Latinobligō—
5Latinob-towards; against
6Latinobolusobolus
7Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
8Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
9Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
10Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos—
11Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →