Where does “essai” come from?

essai (French) comes from Old French essai, from Late Latin exagium, from Latin exigō, from Latin agō, from Proto-Italic agō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂éǵeti, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- — to drive.

essai (French): try, trial; assay; try

Definitions

  1. try, trial; assay; try

Ancestry of “essai”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchessaitrial
2Late Latinexagiumweight; weighing, testing on the balance;...
3Latinexigōto drive out; expel
4Latinagōto act, to behave
5Proto-Italicagōdrive; push, impel; do, act
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éǵetito be driving
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eǵ-to drive

Words derived from “essai

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ-