Etymologically
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engager

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɑ̃.ɡa.ʒe/[1]

Forms

engager[1] Old French engagier, enguagier.[2][3]

Etymology

It is from French en- + gage (“pledge”),[4][3][5][6] first as engagier.[3] The noun gage is from Frankish *waddi (“pledge”).[7][1] Medieval Latin had parallel formations: Medieval Latin se ingnadiare “to pledge oneself” (811) and invadiare “to pawn” (1063).[4][3]

Cognate with Occitan engatjar and Italian ingaggiare.[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wace uses it about 1150 in his Life of Saint Nicholas in the sense “to put in pledge, pawn”.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

In the 16th century it took the figurative sense “to make (something) enter into a place that holds it fast” (1559, Amyot), and, from 1580 Montaigne uses it of being caught up in a situation.[4][3] The sense “to pledge (one's word), bind by a promise” appears in 1595 (engager sa foy).[4] From the idea of entering came “to begin, open” (engager la conversation) and “to urge (someone to do something)”, both from the late 16th century.[3][9] D'Aubigné uses it (1616–1620) for enlisting soldiers;[4] the sense “to take into one's service, hire” spread in the 19th century (1835).[3][9]

Around 1945 the reflexive s'engager came to mean “to take a stand on political questions”, with engagé “committed” and littérature engagée.[3] The verb was borrowed into German engagieren and Italian ingaggiare.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 1150 – “To pawn” in Wace.[4]
  • 1559 – “To thrust into” in Amyot.[4]
  • 1580 – Montaigne is engagé “caught up” in excesses.[4]
  • 1595 – Engager sa foy “to pledge one's word”.[4]
  • 1616–1620 – “To enlist” in d'Aubigné.[4]
  • 1835 – “To take into service”, in the Académie.[3][9]
  • c. 1945 – S'engager “to take a political stand”.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To pawn, put in pledge: engager ses bijoux.[10][11]
  2. To bind by a promise or commitment: cela n'engage à rien.[10][11]
  3. To hire, take on; to enlist (soldiers).[10][1]
  4. To insert, make enter: engager la clé dans la serrure.[10]
  5. To begin, open (negotiations, a conversation, a battle).[3][1]
  6. To urge (someone to do something).[3][1]
  7. To invest or commit (money, resources).[9][4]
  8. (reflexive) To commit oneself; to enlist; to take a political stand.[3][1]

Word family

  • engagement
  • engagiste
  • engagé
  • engageant
  • rengager

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 17, 444b
  7. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  10. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  11. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)