A Ledger Is Named After a Book That Stayed Put
A ledge is a narrow horizontal shelf. The accounting ledger shares its root, from a book that lay permanently in one place.
A ledge is a narrow horizontal surface projecting from a wall or cliff. The accounting *ledger* is related: it comes from a word meaning something that lies in place, because the ledger was the large book that stayed permanently on a desk or lectern rather than being carried about. A ledge lies flat; a ledger lay flat. In building, a *ledger* is also the horizontal member of a scaffold, keeping the same sense.
- A narrow shelf. *A window ledge.*
- A rock shelf. *A cliff ledge.*
- Ledger — an account book. *The general ledger.*
- Ledger — a scaffold beam. *A scaffold ledger.*
- Lie — the underlying idea. *Lying flat.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | ledge | A narrow ledge. |
| Plural | ledges | Two ledges. |
| Related | ledger | A ledger. |
| Compound | ledger line | A ledger line. |
| Middle English | legge | A bar, a ledge. |
- The bird nested on a cliff ledge.Rock.
- The entry was posted to the ledger.Accounting.
- A ledger stayed on the desk.Etymology.
Ledger in different trades
- Accounting — the principal book of accounts
- Scaffolding — a horizontal tube running along the structure
- Music — a ledger line extends the stave above or below
- Angling — ledgering means fishing with a weight on the bottom
- All keep the sense of lying horizontally in place
Middle English *legge*, a bar or strip, probably from a Germanic root related to *lay* and *lie*.
Are ledge and ledger related?
Yes. Both rest on the idea of lying flat in place. A ledger was the book that stayed permanently on the desk.
What is a ledger line in music?
A short line added above or below the stave to write notes outside its normal range.