The story
- Akkadian · derived from𒂊𒄈𒌅“inscribed tablet; oracle of fate, ambiguous wording; contract, bound deal”
- Aramaic · derived from*𐡀𐡍𐡂𐡓𐡀
- Old Persian · derived from*𐎠𐎥𐎼𐎠“missive, letter”
- Ancient Greek · derived fromἀγγαρεία“the office of a courier or messenger”
- Late Latin · derived fromangaria“forced service”
- French · borrowed fromangarie
- English todayangary
From French angarie, from Late Latin angaria (“forced service”) from Ancient Greek ἀγγαρεία (angareía, “the office of a courier or messenger”), from ἄγγαρος (ángaros, “courier”), from Old Persian *𐎠𐎥𐎼𐎠 (*a-g-r-a /*angarā/, “missive, letter”), from Aramaic *𐡀𐡍𐡂𐡓𐡀 (*ʾngrʾ /*ʾengarā/), form of *𐡀𐡍𐡂𐡓𐡕𐡀 (*ʾngrtʾ /*ʾengartā/), variant of 𐡀𐡂𐡓𐡕𐡀 (ʾgrtʾ /ʾiggartā/), 𐡀𐡍𐡂𐡓𐡕𐡀 (ʾngrtʾ /ʾengirtā/, “missive, letter; contract”), from Akkadian 𒂊𒄈𒌅 (egirtu, “inscribed tablet; oracle of fate, ambiguous wording; contract, bound deal”), from 𒄃 (egēru, “to be difficult, to be twisted or locked together; to have a twisted tongue, to be unable to speak against an order”). See also Classical Syriac ܐܓܪܬܐ (ʾeggarṯā, “letter, document”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.