pawn

pawn
\ \ English has two words pawn. The older, ‘chess piece’ [14], means etymologically ‘footsoldier’.
\ \ It comes via Anglo-Norman poun from medieval Latin pedōinfantryman’, a derivative of Latin pēsfoot’ (to which English foot is related). The foot-soldier being the lowest of the low in the army, the term came to be applied to the ‘chess piece of lowest rank’. (English gets pioneer from a derivative of paon, the Old French version of poun.) Pawnpledge as security for a loan’ [15] comes via Old French pansecurity, pledge’ from a prehistoric West Germanic *panda (source of modern German pfandpledge, security, pawn’). Penny may go back to the same source.
\ \ Cf.FOOT, PEDAL, PIONEER; PENNY

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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Synonyms:
(of a chattel to secure a debt), , / , / , , , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Pawn — Тип исполнения: компилируемый Появился в: 1998 …   Википедия

  • pawn — 1 / pȯn/ n 1 a: a pledge and transfer of possession of movable or personal property to a creditor which gives the creditor the privilege of satisfying the debt from the property (as by selling it) if the debt is not repaid within a specified… …   Law dictionary

  • Pawn — Pawn, n. [OF. pan pledge, assurance, skirt, piece, F. pan skirt, lappet, piece, from L. pannus. See {Pane}.] 1. Anything delivered or deposited as security, as for the payment of money borrowed, or of a debt; a pledge. See {Pledge}, n., 1. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pawn — ist ein englischsprachiger Webcomic des schwedischen Zeichners Fredrik K.T. Andersson. Der Comic ist ein erotisch angehauchter Fantasycomic. Die Hauptcharaktere sind ein Mädchen namens Ayanah und die Dämonin Baalah. In einer versteckten Sektion… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • pawn — pawn1 [pôn] n. [LME paun < MFr pan, piece of cloth < L pannus, cloth (? used as medium of exchange): see PANE] 1. anything given as security, as for a debt, performance of an action, etc.; pledge; guaranty 2. a hostage 3. the state of being …   English World dictionary

  • Pawn — Pawn, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Pawned}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Pawning}.] 1. To give or deposit in pledge, or as security for the payment of money borrowed; to put in pawn; to pledge; as, to pawn one s watch. [1913 Webster] And pawned the last remaining… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pawn — [n1] security for a loan assurance, bond, collateral, earnest, forfeit, gage, gambit, guarantee, guaranty, pledge, security, token, warrant; concept 332 pawn [n2] person who is a fool creature, dupe*, instrument, mark*, patsy*, pigeon*, puppet,… …   New thesaurus

  • pawn — Ⅰ. pawn [1] ► NOUN 1) a chess piece of the smallest size and value. 2) a person used by others for their own purposes. ORIGIN Old French poun, from Latin pedo foot soldier . Ⅱ. pawn [2] …   English terms dictionary

  • Pawn — Pawn, n. See {Pan}, the masticatory. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pawn — Pawn, n. [OE. paune, poun, OF. peon, poon, F. pion, LL. pedo a foot soldier, fr. L. pes, pedis, foot. See {Foot}, and cf. {Pioneer}, {Peon}.] (Chess) A man or piece of the lowest rank. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pawn|ee — «p NEE», noun. the person with whom something is deposited as a pawn or security. Paw|nee «p NEE», noun, plural nee or nees, adjective. –n. 1. a member of an American Indian tribe that lived near the forks of the Platte River in Nebraska and… …   Useful english dictionary

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