Where does “essayer” come from?
essayer (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 “essayer”, step by step
essayer traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French essai
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | essai | trial |
| 2 | Late Latin | exagium | weight; weighing, testing on the balance;... |
| 3 | Latin | exigō | to drive out; expel |
| 4 | Latin | agō | to act, to behave |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | agō | drive; push, impel; do, act |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂éǵeti | to be driving |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eǵ- | to drive |
via Old French essay
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | essay | — |