Where does “essay” come from?
essay (Old French) comes 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 “essay”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Late Latin | exagium | weight; weighing, testing on the balance;... |
| 2 | Latin | exigō | — |
| 3 | Latin | agō | — |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | agō | drive; push, impel; do, act |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂éǵeti | to be driving |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eǵ- | to drive |
Words derived from “essay”