engagement

Forms

engagement m (plural engagements)^[1] Old French enwagement (late 12th century), then engagement (13th century).^[2][3] Anglo-Norman engaigement.^[4]

Etymology

It is formed from French engager + -ment.^[3][5][1][6] Compare Medieval Latin inwadiamentum (“holding in pledge”) (1040–1049).^[3] The verb comes from gage “pledge”, which is from Frankish *wadi, a term of Germanic law.^[3][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1183–1184 as enwagement in a document from Abbeville, as a legal term for pledging or binding by a contract.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

As a term of law it meant putting something in pledge and binding by a contract, then binding oneself by a promise (1283, Beaumanoir).^[8][2][6] From 1580 (Montaigne) it named the state of being bound by an obligation, and later (1665) a lover's commitment.^[3][8][2] Following the verb's other senses, it meant entering a narrow passage (1680, Richelet), engaging in a fight (1704) and, in the army, enlistment (1740).^[3][8] About 1945 it took on, after engagé, the sense of an intellectual's or artist's commitment to a cause, and non-engagement (1949) named a policy of neutrality.^[8] Sport uses it for entering a competition.^[9]

Timeline

• 1183–1184 – Enwagement in a document from Abbeville.^[3]
• c. 1255 – Pierre de Fontaines uses it in law.^[3]
• 1283 – Beaumanoir: binding oneself by a promise.^[8][2]
• 1580 – Montaigne: the state of being bound by an obligation.^[3]
• 1680 – Richelet: entering a narrow space.^[3]
• 1704 – The beginning of a fight.^[3]
• 1740 – The Académie records military enlistment.^[3][2]
• c. 1945 – An intellectual's commitment to a cause.^[8]
• 1949 – Non-engagement.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. (law) The act of putting something in pledge, and the receipt for it.^[10][3]
2. A commitment: binding oneself by a promise or agreement: tenir ses engagements, sans engagement de votre part.^[10][3]
3. The hiring of someone's services, or voluntary enlistment in the army: l'engagement d'une danseuse pour la saison.^[10][3]
4. The beginning of a fight, or a brief engagement between forces.^[3][8]
5. The commitment of an intellectual or artist to a political or social cause.^[8][10]
6. (sport) Entry for a competition.^[9][2]

Word family

• non-engagement

Related words

• engager
• engagé
• gage
• rengagement
• English engagement

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
4. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
10. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert