Where does “wage” come from?
Wage comes from Middle English wage, from Anglo-Norman wage, from Old Norse vágr, from Proto-Germanic wēgaz, from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ-.
wage (English): An amount of money paid to a worker for a...
Definitions
- An amount of money paid to a worker for a...
Ancestry of “wage”, step by step
wage traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English wage
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wage | A wage; earnings; Money reserved for the payment... |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | wage | wave; Alternative form of gage |
| 3 | Old Norse | vágr | ocean, sea; inlet, bay |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wēgaz | wave; sea |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | weǵʰ- | to bring; to transport |
via Middle English wagen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wagen | To employ, use, or utilise a person; To give an... |
| 2 | Old Northern French | wagier | to pledge |
Words derived from “wage”