Where does “assayer” come from?

assayer (Old 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.

Ancestry of “assayer”, step by step

assayer traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Old French essai

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

via Old French assai

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchassaiattempt; assay; experiment

via Old French essay

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchessay—

Words derived from “assayer”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂éǵeti →Every word from Proto-Italic agō →