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E 0971 WAGE
The word " wage " is of
unknown origin .
H 1041 ע ג י
Concept of root : wage
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Hebrew word
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pronunciation
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English meanings
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ע ג י
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yag‛a
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earning
from work
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Related English words
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wage
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Comparison between European words and
Hebrew
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Languages
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Words
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Pronunciation
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English meanings
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Similarity in roots
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Hebrew
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ע ג י
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yag‛a
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earning from work
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y . g (‛) . <
*w .
g (‛) .
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English
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wage
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earning from work
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w . g .
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Proto-Semitic *YAG‛À < *WAG‛À --- *WAG English
The entry E 0318 (Hebrew 1040) , with the same Hebrew root, is strictly related to this one. They deal with two aspects of the same overall concept of "working hard , getting tired and earning something".
This English word "wage" has no etymological explanation, though it can be considered related to French "gage". This French term in all probability is of Germanic origin. Latin and French speakers in the past changed initial W from foreign tongues mostly into G. This is how Wales was called Galles. But sometimes the W was maintained, like in "Wallonie" that has the same root as Wales.
There is agreement that French "gage", via Old French "gatge", has come from Medieval Latin "vadjum", itself a latinized loanword from Gothic "vati" or "wadi". This word has a root that is also found in modern German "Wette = betting, salary, pay" and others. There is as well some mixture with the meaning "pledge" besides "salary". Latin has "vas, gen. vadi" for "pledge, guarantee". But whatever be of this, there is no reason why "gage" would change into "wage" after having been brought to England.
Nor is there any reason why a Germanic root "W . D" , fully present in modern languages, would become "W . G" in English. "Wage" must be of different origin. Here the similarity with Hebrew helps a bit, but insufficiently to make a hypothesis for Proto-Germanic. The two consonant combination "W + G" is found in other words, with meanings like "to weigh", "to wag", "to risk", "to dare", but these are far away from "wage". For now the comparison stays between Semitic and English.
Note:
- Hebrew. The noun "
י
ג
י
ע, yegi‛à " stands for the range of meanings this root deals with: "fatigue, work, reward, earning" and even "property".
Note:
- Proto-Semitic is seen as having had already the same root present in Hebrew , "* י ג ע , Y G Ayin" , but anyhow should still have used its predecessor "* ו ג ע , W G Ayin".
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| Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 15/12/2012 at 15.32.38 |
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