Post History
I fail to understand this etymology for bail (n.1), particularly the first paragraph. [3.] "bond money, security given to obtain the release of a prisoner," late 15c., a sense that apparently de...
#4: Post edited
by
PSTH
·
2021-10-23T01:09:58Z (about 3 years ago)
- I fail to understand this etymology for [bail (n.1)](https://www.etymonline.com/word/bail#etymonline_v_200 "Origin and meaning of bail"), particularly the first paragraph.
- > **[3.]** "bond money, security given to obtain the release of a prisoner," late 15c., a sense that apparently developed from that of
- **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail" (into the custody of another, who gives security for future appearance at trial), which is recorded from early 15c.
- That seems to have evolved from the earlier meanings **[1.]** "captivity, custody" (late 14c.), "charge, guardianship" (early 14c.).
- >
- > The word is from Old French *baillier* "to control, to guard, deliver" (12c.), from Latin *baiulare* "to bear a burden," from *baiulus* "porter, carrier, one who bears burdens (for pay)," which is of uncertain origin; perhaps a borrowing from Germanic and cognate with the root of English [pack](https://www.etymonline.com/word/pack), or perhaps from Celtic. De Vaan writes that, in either case, "PIE origin seems unlikely."
- 4. How did **[1.]** "captivity, custody" shift to mean **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail"? If a prison RELEASES an arrestee, then undeniably the arrestee is no longer under the prison's CAPTIVITY or CUSTODY!!?!?! Unquestionably, "release" is the opposite of "captivity" or "custody".
- 5. Then how did **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail" shift to signify **[3.]** "money deposited as a guarantee when released"? These are two wholly different notions! "temporary release" is a physical act, and differs from "money" that is property.
6. What semantic notions underlie senses 1, 2, 3?
- I fail to understand this etymology for [bail (n.1)](https://www.etymonline.com/word/bail#etymonline_v_200 "Origin and meaning of bail"), particularly the first paragraph.
- > **[3.]** "bond money, security given to obtain the release of a prisoner," late 15c., a sense that apparently developed from that of
- **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail" (into the custody of another, who gives security for future appearance at trial), which is recorded from early 15c.
- That seems to have evolved from the earlier meanings **[1.]** "captivity, custody" (late 14c.), "charge, guardianship" (early 14c.).
- >
- > The word is from Old French *baillier* "to control, to guard, deliver" (12c.), from Latin *baiulare* "to bear a burden," from *baiulus* "porter, carrier, one who bears burdens (for pay)," which is of uncertain origin; perhaps a borrowing from Germanic and cognate with the root of English [pack](https://www.etymonline.com/word/pack), or perhaps from Celtic. De Vaan writes that, in either case, "PIE origin seems unlikely."
- 4. How did **[1.]** "captivity, custody" shift to mean **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail"? If a prison RELEASES an arrestee, then undeniably the arrestee is no longer under the prison's CAPTIVITY or CUSTODY!!?!?! Unquestionably, "release" is the opposite of "captivity" or "custody".
- 5. Then how did **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail" shift to signify **[3.]** "money deposited as a guarantee when released"? These are two wholly different notions! "temporary release" is a physical act, and differs from "money" that is property.
- 6. What semantic notions underlie senses 1, 2, 3?
- >**bail** There are now three distinct words _bail_ in
- English, although they may all be related. _Bail_
- ‘money deposited as a guarantee when released’
- [14] comes from Old French _bail_, a derivative of
- the verb _baillier _‘take charge of, carry’, whose
- source was Latin _bājulāre_ ‘carry’, from _bājulus_
- ‘carrier’. Bail ‘remove water’ [13], also spelled
- _bale_, probably comes ultimately from the same
- source; its immediate antecedent was Old
- French _baille_ ‘bucket’, which perhaps went back
- to a hypothetical Vulgar Latin _*bājula_, a
- feminine form of _bājulus_. The _bail_ on top of
- cricket stumps [18] has been connected with
- Latin _bājulus_ too – this could have been the
- source of Old French _bail_ ‘cross-beam’ (‘loadcarrying
- beam’), which could quite plausibly
- have been applied to cricket bails; on the other
- hand it may go back to Old French _bail, baille_
- ‘enclosed court’ (source of English _bailey_ [13]),
- which originally in English meant the
- ‘encircling walls of a castle’ but by the 19th
- century at the latest had developed the sense ‘bar
- for separating animals in a stable’.
- _Word Origins_ (2005 2e) by John Ayto, p 46, Right Column.
#3: Post edited
by
PSTH
·
2021-10-23T01:08:19Z (about 3 years ago)
- I fail to understand this etymology for [bail (n.1)](https://www.etymonline.com/word/bail#etymonline_v_200 "Origin and meaning of bail"), particularly the first paragraph.
- > **[3.]** "bond money, security given to obtain the release of a prisoner," late 15c., a sense that apparently developed from that of
- **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail" (into the custody of another, who gives security for future appearance at trial), which is recorded from early 15c.
- That seems to have evolved from the earlier meanings **[1.]** "captivity, custody" (late 14c.), "charge, guardianship" (early 14c.).
- >
- > The word is from Old French *baillier* "to control, to guard, deliver" (12c.), from Latin *baiulare* "to bear a burden," from *baiulus* "porter, carrier, one who bears burdens (for pay)," which is of uncertain origin; perhaps a borrowing from Germanic and cognate with the root of English [pack](https://www.etymonline.com/word/pack), or perhaps from Celtic. De Vaan writes that, in either case, "PIE origin seems unlikely."
- 4. How did **[1.]** "captivity, custody" shift to mean **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail"? If a prison RELEASES an arrestee, then undeniably the arrestee is no longer under the prison's CAPTIVITY or CUSTODY!!?!?! Unquestionably, "release" is the opposite of "captivity" or "custody".
- 5. Then how did **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail" shift to signify **[3.]** "money deposited as a guarantee when released"? These are two wholly different notions! "temporary release" is a physical act, and differs from "money" that is property.
- I fail to understand this etymology for [bail (n.1)](https://www.etymonline.com/word/bail#etymonline_v_200 "Origin and meaning of bail"), particularly the first paragraph.
- > **[3.]** "bond money, security given to obtain the release of a prisoner," late 15c., a sense that apparently developed from that of
- **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail" (into the custody of another, who gives security for future appearance at trial), which is recorded from early 15c.
- That seems to have evolved from the earlier meanings **[1.]** "captivity, custody" (late 14c.), "charge, guardianship" (early 14c.).
- >
- > The word is from Old French *baillier* "to control, to guard, deliver" (12c.), from Latin *baiulare* "to bear a burden," from *baiulus* "porter, carrier, one who bears burdens (for pay)," which is of uncertain origin; perhaps a borrowing from Germanic and cognate with the root of English [pack](https://www.etymonline.com/word/pack), or perhaps from Celtic. De Vaan writes that, in either case, "PIE origin seems unlikely."
- 4. How did **[1.]** "captivity, custody" shift to mean **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail"? If a prison RELEASES an arrestee, then undeniably the arrestee is no longer under the prison's CAPTIVITY or CUSTODY!!?!?! Unquestionably, "release" is the opposite of "captivity" or "custody".
- 5. Then how did **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail" shift to signify **[3.]** "money deposited as a guarantee when released"? These are two wholly different notions! "temporary release" is a physical act, and differs from "money" that is property.
- 6. What semantic notions underlie senses 1, 2, 3?
#2: Post edited
by
PSTH
·
2021-10-23T01:07:55Z (about 3 years ago)
- I fail to understand this etymology for [bail (n.1)](https://www.etymonline.com/word/bail#etymonline_v_200 "Origin and meaning of bail"), particularly the first paragraph.
- > **[3.]** "bond money, security given to obtain the release of a prisoner," late 15c., a sense that apparently developed from that of
- **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail" (into the custody of another, who gives security for future appearance at trial), which is recorded from early 15c.
- That seems to have evolved from the earlier meanings **[1.]** "captivity, custody" (late 14c.), "charge, guardianship" (early 14c.).
- >
- > The word is from Old French *baillier* "to control, to guard, deliver" (12c.), from Latin *baiulare* "to bear a burden," from *baiulus* "porter, carrier, one who bears burdens (for pay)," which is of uncertain origin; perhaps a borrowing from Germanic and cognate with the root of English [pack](https://www.etymonline.com/word/pack), or perhaps from Celtic. De Vaan writes that, in either case, "PIE origin seems unlikely."
1. How did **[1.]** "captivity, custody" shift to mean **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail"? If a prison RELEASES an arrestee, then undeniably the arrestee is no longer under the prison's CAPTIVITY or CUSTODY!!?!?! Unquestionably, "release" is the opposite of "captivity" or "custody".2. Then how did **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail" shift to signify **[3.]** "money deposited as a guarantee when released"? These are two wholly different notions! "temporary release" is a physical act, and differs from "money" that is property.
- I fail to understand this etymology for [bail (n.1)](https://www.etymonline.com/word/bail#etymonline_v_200 "Origin and meaning of bail"), particularly the first paragraph.
- > **[3.]** "bond money, security given to obtain the release of a prisoner," late 15c., a sense that apparently developed from that of
- **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail" (into the custody of another, who gives security for future appearance at trial), which is recorded from early 15c.
- That seems to have evolved from the earlier meanings **[1.]** "captivity, custody" (late 14c.), "charge, guardianship" (early 14c.).
- >
- > The word is from Old French *baillier* "to control, to guard, deliver" (12c.), from Latin *baiulare* "to bear a burden," from *baiulus* "porter, carrier, one who bears burdens (for pay)," which is of uncertain origin; perhaps a borrowing from Germanic and cognate with the root of English [pack](https://www.etymonline.com/word/pack), or perhaps from Celtic. De Vaan writes that, in either case, "PIE origin seems unlikely."
- 4. How did **[1.]** "captivity, custody" shift to mean **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail"? If a prison RELEASES an arrestee, then undeniably the arrestee is no longer under the prison's CAPTIVITY or CUSTODY!!?!?! Unquestionably, "release" is the opposite of "captivity" or "custody".
- 5. Then how did **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail" shift to signify **[3.]** "money deposited as a guarantee when released"? These are two wholly different notions! "temporary release" is a physical act, and differs from "money" that is property.
#1: Initial revision
by
PSTH
·
2021-10-23T01:07:40Z (about 3 years ago)
How did "bail" shift to signify "money deposited as a guarantee when released"?
I fail to understand this etymology for [bail (n.1)](https://www.etymonline.com/word/bail#etymonline_v_200 "Origin and meaning of bail"), particularly the first paragraph. > **[3.]** "bond money, security given to obtain the release of a prisoner," late 15c., a sense that apparently developed from that of **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail" (into the custody of another, who gives security for future appearance at trial), which is recorded from early 15c. That seems to have evolved from the earlier meanings **[1.]** "captivity, custody" (late 14c.), "charge, guardianship" (early 14c.). > > The word is from Old French *baillier* "to control, to guard, deliver" (12c.), from Latin *baiulare* "to bear a burden," from *baiulus* "porter, carrier, one who bears burdens (for pay)," which is of uncertain origin; perhaps a borrowing from Germanic and cognate with the root of English [pack](https://www.etymonline.com/word/pack), or perhaps from Celtic. De Vaan writes that, in either case, "PIE origin seems unlikely." 1. How did **[1.]** "captivity, custody" shift to mean **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail"? If a prison RELEASES an arrestee, then undeniably the arrestee is no longer under the prison's CAPTIVITY or CUSTODY!!?!?! Unquestionably, "release" is the opposite of "captivity" or "custody". 2. Then how did **[2.]** "temporary release (of an arrested person) from jail" shift to signify **[3.]** "money deposited as a guarantee when released"? These are two wholly different notions! "temporary release" is a physical act, and differs from "money" that is property.