Etymograph

English

engagé

Engagé comes from French engager ‘to pledge, commit’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- ‘guarantee, bail’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wedʰ-‘guarantee, bail’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wadją‘pledge, guarantee’reconstructed
  3. Frankishc. 250–700*wadi ~ waddj-‘pledge’reconstructed
  4. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEwadium‘pledge’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400engagier‘to pawn, make a pledge, plight’
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600engager
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentsame formas engagé‘to pledge, commit’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1974engagé

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wedʰ-‘guarantee, bail’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wadją‘pledge, guarantee’reconstructed
  3. Frankishc. 250–700*wadi ~ waddj-‘pledge’reconstructed
  4. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEwadium‘pledge’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400engagier‘to pawn, make a pledge, plight’
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600engager
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentsame formas engagé‘to pledge, commit’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1974engagé

Earliest quotation: 1974, Preston Holder: “In 1705, "un nommé Laurain" having been up the…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- ‘guarantee, bail’

weed, bahu, 8 more

through Proto-Germanic *wadją ‘pledge, guarantee’

wedding, wage, wed, wedlock, gage, 3 more

Today it means

noun Someone serving under a contract of engagement.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- / engagé

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