pawn

pawn · noun, verb¹

1. Frankish · derived from*pand“deposit, security, pledge”
2. Old French · derived frompan
3. Middle English · inherited frompaun
4. English todaypawn

From Middle English paun, pawyn, pawnd, from Old French pan, pant (“pledge for a payment”), from a Germanic language, perhaps Frankish *pand (“deposit, security, pledge”), further origin uncertain. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Pound (“deposit, pledge, pawn”), West Frisian pân (“pawn”), Dutch pand (“pledge, pawn”), German Low German Pand (“deposit, pledge, pawn”), German Pfand (“deposit, pledge, pawn”), Swedish pant (“pledge, pawn”), Faroese pantur (“security, lien”), Icelandic pantur (“pledge, security, pawn”).

pawn · noun²

1. Latin · derived fromped-“foot”
2. Late Latin · derived frompedōnem“pedestrian”
3. Anglo-Norman · derived frompoun, paun“footman”
4. Middle English · inherited frompown
5. English todaypawn

From Middle English pown, from Anglo-Norman poun, paun (“footman”), from Late Latin pedōnem (“pedestrian”), derived from Latin ped- (“foot”). Doublet of peon.

Words from the same roots