English
bargain
Bargain comes from Old French bargaigner ‘to bargain’, from Frankish *borganjan ‘to borrow, lend’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰergʰ- ‘to protect, secure’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰergʰ-‘to protect, secure’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*burgijaną‘to borrow, lend’reconstructed
- Frankishc. 250–700*borganjan‘to borrow, lend’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400bargaigner‘to bargain’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bargaynen‘to bargain, make a pledge for sale’
- Englishearliest quotation 1591bargain
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰergʰ-‘to protect, secure’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*burgijaną‘to borrow, lend’reconstructed
- Frankishc. 250–700*borganjan‘to borrow, lend’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400bargaigner‘to bargain’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bargaynen‘to bargain, make a pledge for sale’
- Englishearliest quotation 1591bargain
Earliest quotation: 1591, William Shakespeare, The First Part of Henry the Sixt: “So worthless peasants bargain for their wives. United we…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰergʰ- ‘to protect, secure’
through Proto-Germanic *burgijaną ‘to borrow, lend’
Today it means
noun An agreement between parties concerning the sale of property; or a contract by which one party binds themself to transfer the right to some property for a consideration, and the other party binds themself to receive the property and pay the consideration.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰergʰ- / bargain