A Gage Was a Glove Thrown Down as a Challenge
A gage is a pledge or a challenge. The word survives in the phrase about throwing down a gauntlet.
A gage is a pledge, or something thrown down as a challenge. In medieval custom a knight threw his glove to the ground to issue a challenge; picking it up accepted. The glove was the gage, a physical pledge of intent, which is why *throw down the gauntlet* still means to issue a challenge. The word is the same as *wage*, borrowed twice from different French dialects, and *engage* means to bind oneself by a pledge. *Gage* is also a variant spelling of *gauge*.
- A pledge. *A gage of good faith.*
- A challenge. *Throw down the gage.*
- Engage — to bind by pledge. *Engage.*
- Wage — the same word. *A wage.*
- Old French — *gage*, a pledge. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | gage | A gage. |
| Plural | gages | Gages. |
| Related | engage | To engage. |
| Related | wage | A wage. |
| Related | mortgage | A mortgage. |
- He threw down his gage.Challenge.
- A gage of sincerity.Pledge.
- Wage is the same word.Etymology.
The pledge family
- Gage — a pledge, often a thrown glove
- Wage — the same word by another route, now payment
- Engage — to bind oneself by a pledge
- Mortgage — a dead pledge, ending when the debt is paid
- Wager — a stake pledged on an outcome
Old French *gage*, a pledge, of Germanic origin, the same source as English *wage*.
Why did knights throw down a glove?
The glove was a physical pledge of challenge. Picking it up accepted, which is why throwing down the gauntlet still means issuing a challenge.
What does mortgage literally mean?
A dead pledge. The obligation dies when the debt is paid or when the property is forfeited.