pledge

pledge
pledge (n.) mid-14c., "surety, bail," from O.Fr. plege (Fr. pleige) "hostage, security, bail," probably from Frankish *plegan "to guarantee," from a West Germanic root meaning "have responsibility for" (Cf. O.Saxon plegan "vouch for," O.H.G. pflegan "to care for, be accustomed to," O.E. pleon "to risk, expose to danger"). Meaning "allegiance vow attested by drinking with another" is from 1630s. Sense of "solemn promise" first recorded 1814, though this meaning is from c.1400 in the verb. Weekley notes the "curious contradiction" in pledge "to toast with a drink" (1540s) and pledge "the vow to abstain from drinking" (1833). Noun meaning "student who has agreed to join a fraternity or sorority" dates from 1901. Related: Pledged; pledging.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • pledge — 1 / plej/ n 1: a delivery of esp. personal property as security for a debt or other obligation; broadly: the perfection of a security interest in collateral through possession of the collateral by a creditor or other promisee 2 a: property and… …   Law dictionary

  • Pledge — Pledge, n. [OF. plege, pleige, pledge, guaranty, LL. plegium, plivium; akin to OF. plevir to bail, guaranty, perhaps fr. L. praebere to proffer, offer (sc. fidem a trust, a promise of security), but cf. also E. play. [root]28. Cf. {Prebend},… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pledge — Pledge, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Pledged}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Pledging}.] [Cf. OF. pleiger to give security. See {Pledge}, n.] 1. To deposit, as a chattel, in pledge or pawn; to leave in possession of another as security; as, to pledge one s watch.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pledge# — pledge n Pledge, earnest, token, pawn, hostage are comparable when they denote something that is given or held as a sign of another s faith or intention to do what has been promised. Pledge, originally and still in some applications a technical… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • pledge — [plej] n. [ME plegge < OFr pleige < ML plegium < plevium, security, warranty, infl. by Frank * pligi, liability; akin to OS plegan, to warrant] 1. the condition of being given or held as security for a contract, payment, etc. [a thing… …   English World dictionary

  • Pledge 3 — (Негомбо,Шри Ланка) Категория отеля: 4 звездочный отель Адрес: No 3, Eththukala, 11500 Него …   Каталог отелей

  • pledge — [n1] word of honor agreement, assurance, covenant, guarantee, health, oath, promise, toast, undertaking, vow, warrant, word; concepts 71,278 Ant. break pledge [n2] sign of good faith bail, bond, collateral, deposit, earnest, gage, guarantee,… …   New thesaurus

  • Pledge — [plɛdʒ] das; <aus gleichbed. engl. pledge> (veraltet) Handgeld, Unterpfand …   Das große Fremdwörterbuch

  • pledge — ► NOUN 1) a solemn promise or undertaking. 2) Law a thing that is given as security for the fulfilment of a contract or the payment of a debt and is liable to forfeiture in the event of failure. 3) (the pledge) a solemn undertaking to abstain… …   English terms dictionary

  • Pledge — (engl., spr. pledsch), Pfand; Gelübde bei Aufnahme in einen Mäßigkeits (Temperenz ) Verein …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

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