English
engage
Engage comes from Middle English engagen, from Old French engagier ‘to pledge’ (en- + gage ‘pledge’), from Frankish *wadi, ultimately from PIE *wedʰ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wedʰ-‘to pledge’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wadją‘pledge, guarantee’reconstructed
- Frankishc. 250–700*wadi‘pledge’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400gage‘pledge’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400engagier‘to pledge, engage’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500engagen
- Englishearliest quotation 1590engage
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wedʰ-‘to pledge’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wadją‘pledge, guarantee’reconstructed
- Frankishc. 250–700*wadi‘pledge’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400gage‘pledge’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400engagier‘to pledge, engage’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500engagen
- Englishearliest quotation 1590engage
Earliest quotation: 1590, Edmund Spenser, Book II, Canto VII: “Thou that doest liue in later times, must wage…”
Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- ‘to bind’
…
Proto-Germanic *wadją ‘wager, stake, pledge’
Frankish *waddi
Middle French gager
Middle English gage
English gage
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- ‘to pledge, redeem a pledge’
through Proto-Germanic *wadją ‘pledge, guarantee’
Today it means
verb To engross or hold the attention of; to keep busy or occupied.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- / engage