English
engagement
Engagement comes from French engagement ‘commitment’, from Old French engagier ‘to pawn, make a pledge, plight’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- ‘guarantee, bail’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wedʰ-‘guarantee, bail’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wadją‘pledge, guarantee’reconstructed
- Frankishc. 250–700*wadi ~ waddj-‘pledge’reconstructed
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEwadium‘pledge’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400engagier‘to pawn, make a pledge, plight’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600engager
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘to commit’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentengagement‘commitment’
- Englishearliest quotation 2012same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wedʰ-‘guarantee, bail’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wadją‘pledge, guarantee’reconstructed
- Frankishc. 250–700*wadi ~ waddj-‘pledge’reconstructed
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEwadium‘pledge’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400engagier‘to pawn, make a pledge, plight’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600engager
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘to commit’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentengagement‘commitment’
- Englishearliest quotation 2012same form
Earliest quotation: 2012, James Price Dillard, Lijiang Shen: “In a recent study with a movie recommendation site…”
Formed from engage + -ment
Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- ‘to pledge’
…
Frankish *wadi ‘pledge’
Old French gage ‘pledge’
Old French engagier ‘to pledge, engage’
Middle English engagen
English engage
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- ‘guarantee, bail’
through Proto-Germanic *wadją ‘pledge, guarantee’
Today it means
noun An appointment, especially to speak or perform.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- / engagement