English
haggle
Haggle comes from Middle English haggen ‘to chop’, from hakken ‘to hack’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *keg-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*keg-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hakkōną‘to hack’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hakkōn‘to hack, chop’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150*haccian‘to hack’reconstructed
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hakkenas hacken, variant‘to hack’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500haggen‘to chop’
- Englishearliest quotation 1599haggle
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*keg-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hakkōną‘to hack’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hakkōn‘to hack, chop’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150*haccian‘to hack’reconstructed
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hakkenas hacken, variant‘to hack’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500haggen‘to chop’
- Englishearliest quotation 1599haggle
Earliest quotation: 1599, William Shakespeare, The Life of Henry the Fift: “Suffolk first died, and York, all haggled o'er, /…”
Formed from hack + -le
Proto-Indo-European *keg-
Proto-Germanic *hakkōną ‘to chop’
Proto-West Germanic *hakkōn ‘to hack, chop’
Old English *haccian ‘to hack’
Middle English hacken
English hack
The story
1570s, "to cut unevenly" (implied in haggler), frequentative of Middle English haggen (‘to chop’), variant of hacken (‘to hack’), equivalent to hack + -le. Sense of "argue about price" first recorded c.1600, probably from notion of chopping away.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *keg-
through Proto-Germanic *hakkōną ‘to hack’
through Proto-West Germanic *hakkōn ‘to hack, chop’
through Old English *haccian ‘to hack’
through Middle English hakken ‘to hack’
through Middle English haggen ‘to chop’
Today it means
verb To argue for a better deal, especially over prices between a buyer and seller.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *keg- / haggle