Forms: 4 Sc. vag, 4 Sc., 6 wag, 6 waige, wayge, pl. wagies, Sc. vaig(e, vage, 6–7 wadge, 4– wage. [a. AF., OF. (north-eastern) wage (AL. wagium) Central OF. guage, gage (mod.F. gage), Prov. gage-s, It. gaggio:—popular L. *wadium, of Teut. origin: see WED sb.]
† 1. A pledge or security; GAGE sb.1 1. Phr. to hold, lay in wage. Obs.
[1183. Pipe Roll 29 Hen. II. (1911), 61. Henricus dec’ de Wallebi debet .v. m. quia renuit dare wagium et plegium justiciariis.]
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 139. He sesed fiue castels, & held þam in his wage.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xli. (Agnes), 400. Here-of in vitnesyng remanis ay þe forsad ryng one þe fyngire of þat ymag of vad of weding in-to vag.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, V. iv. 132. Or thai thar land sul los or vassalage Thai had far levir lay thar lyf in wage.
1530. Palsgr., 286/1. Wage or pledge, gaige.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. iv. 39. But th’ Elfin knight, which ought that warlike wage, Disdaind to loose the meed he wonne in fray.
† b. A challenge or engagement to fight. In full, wage of battle. Cf. GAGE sb.1 2. Obs.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 8476. So it was seyde to the Emperoure … How ffight was taken hem be-twene, And no man myȝt here ire a-swage And thei hadde ȝeuen to-gedur wage.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccxvii. 113. And ye same season ther was a wage of batel before the french king, betwene two noble and expert knightes.
2. A payment to a person for service rendered. Formerly used widely, e.g., for the salary or fee paid to persons of official or professional status. Now (exc. in rhetorical language) restricted to mean: The amount paid periodically, esp. by the day or week or month, for the labor or service of a workman or servant.
Commonly in pl. (after F. gages). The sing. is now either dial. or has a rhetorical flavor; but it has sometimes a special convenience with reference to a particular instance or amount (see e.g., quot. 1776 in a).
a. sing. (For living wage see LIVING vbl. sb. 7.)
13[?]. Cour de L., 4264. Ther was non so lytyl page, That ne hadde to hys wage, Off gold and sylvyr [etc.].
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 319. Ilk man þou reft his wage.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 513/1. Wage, or hyre, stipendium, salarium.
1510. Sel. Cases Star Chamb. (Selden Soc.), II. 73. Lewed & evyll disposed persons … to whom … the seid Priour gave wage vj d by the day.
1522. World & Child (facs.), A iij. Whan I was seuen yere of age I was sent to the worlde to take wage And this seuen yere I haue ben his page.
1621. Sclater, Quest. Tythes (1623), F 5. Dreames any man hee meant it to the Lord as a Wage for his Worke.
1776. Adam Smith, W. N., I. x. I. 177. When masters combine together in order to reduce the wages of their workmen, they commonly enter into a private bond or agreement, not to give more than a certain wage under a certain penalty.
1855. W. G. Clark, in Cambr. Ess., 286–7. Millions of children … must needs commence their life of toil in the factory or the field, as soon as their physical strength enables them to get a day’s wage for a day’s work.
1877. Morley, Crit. Misc., Ser. II. 204. The labourers, having little heart in work for which they had no wage.
1889. Moore & Aveling, trans. Marx’ Capital, 259. The fact that they [agricultural labourers] could live for a whole week on the wage of four days, did not appear to the labourers a sufficient reason that they should work the other two days for the capitalist.
b. pl.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XI. 283. He þat toke ȝow ȝowre tytle shulde take ȝow ȝowre wages.
1429. Rolls of Parlt., IV. 338/2. Ye seide Lord Talbot, servid the Kynges Fader … withoute takyng of any wages. Ibid. (1444), V. 110/2. To arreze the wages of the Knyghtes of the shires.
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon., xv. (1885), 146. It shall not be necessarie, þat the xij spirituell men off this covnsell haue so gret wages as the xij temporall men.
1540. Test. Ebor., VI. 107. I will that a prest synge for my fayther … and he to have for his wadges vij markes in the yere.
1588. Kyd, Househ. Philos., Wks. (1901), 265. Gyuing euery one hys sallary or day wages.
1642. J. M[arsh], Argt. conc. Militia, 17. By the Law it is enacted, that no Knight Citizen or Burges, absent himself under the paine of the losse of their wages.
1776. Adam Smith, W. N., I. viii. (init.), I. 78. The produce of labour constitutes the natural recompence or wages of labour.
1809. Kendall, Trav., I. xv. 169. A member would be thought not to earn what are called his wages. These wages amount to two dollars per diem.
1829. Carlyle, Jrnl., in Froude, Life (1882), II. 83. Thus we have private individuals whose wages are equal to the wages of seven or eight thousand other individuals.
1872. Raymond, Mines, 282. Wages are still low, $1 per day and board.
¶ The pl. was formerly often construed as sing.
1388. [see 2 e].
1539. in Abstr. Protocols Town Clerks Glasgow (1897), IV. 118. Everilk ane to haif ane lyik waigis.
1551. Robinson, trans. More’s Utopia, II. ix. (1895), 302. Theire dayly wages is so lytle that it will not suffice for the same daye.
1621. Sclater, Quæst. Tythes, Introd. (1623), B 1. How easie is it to answer, that Tythes was that inheritance, and Tythes is this wages.
1679. L. Addison, 1st St. Mahumedism, 23. As for his wages, it amounted to so little, that it would not do him much service.
1731–9. Tull, Horse-Hoeing Husb., Notes on Pref. (1822), 321. As their wages is supposed to be low, their masters find them in tools to work with.
† c. spec. The pay of a soldier. Chiefly plural. To take wages: to enlist, take service (with or under a commander). Obs.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 163. A hundreth knyghtes mo … & fiue hundreth o fote, to whilk I salle pay Ilk day þer wages.
1436. Rolls of Parlt., IV. 499/1. Wages of Werre for the said Soudeours.
c. 1440. Generydes, 2441. With the Sowdon he will take no wage.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, ix. 216. He … wende that it had ben straunge knyghtes that were come vnto hym to take wages.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Macc. iii. 28. Kynge Antiochus … opened his treasury, and gaue his hoost a yeares wagies in honde.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 250 b. They also, which … take wages under them in this war.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxx. 181. The Wages, due to them that hold the publique Sword.
† d. Phr. At wage, under wages, at or of (a person’s) wage or wages, in (a person’s) wages: in the pay or service of another. To put out of wages: to discharge, cashier. Obs.
a. 1490[?]. Morte Arth., 302. I salle the forthire … Fifty thowsande mene,… Of my wage for to wende, whare so the lykes.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), v. 38. The Soudan may lede out of Egipt mo than 20000 Men of Armes…. And alle tho ben at his Wages.
1420. Waterton, in Rymer, Fœdera (1709), IX. 883. To come ovyr to zowe at zour Wage, Armyd and Arayde, as langys to thaire Estate to do zowe Service.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, V. 909. Xxxty with him off nobill men at wage.
1534. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel., let. v. (1537), 110. And fynally,… ye entre newely into the wages of the worlde.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 187. When he espyed one of the souldiers … trymmyng a strop or loope to sette on his darte, he putte out of wages, and discharged of his roume.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VI., 88 b. Many of the Britons … submitted themselues to the lorde regent … whom he gentely accepted and put them in wages.
1551. Robinson, trans. More’s Utopia, II. viii. (1895), 253. For them, whomewyth they be in wayges, they fyghte hardelye, fyerslye, and faythefullye.
1553. Brende, Q. Curtius, P 1. The Greakes yt were in Darius wagies.
1594. J. Melvill, Autob. & Diary (Wodrow Soc.), 318. The King, with companies of horsmen and futtmen under wages.
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low C. Warres, 73. A mutiny for want of pay: which was an unavoydable evill in those parts, though in wages under a most wealthy King.
e. fig. Reward, recompense.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 396. Þat þou schal seche me þi-self … & foch þe such wages As þou deles me to day.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxii. (Laurence), 139. Fere mare Ioyful wictorag þu sal resawe syne to þi wag.
1388. Wyclif, Rom. vi. 22. The wagis [1382 hyris] of synne is deth.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 3886. Ne were that ȝe come in message, Veleyns dethe schulde be ȝoure wage.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XII. xii. 175. Na for small wagis thai debait and stryfe, But apoun Turnus blude schedding and lyfe.
1549. Coverdale, Erasm. Par. 1 Pet. i. 3–9. They yt serue the world goe about to haue rewardes yt are transitory & wage that is slyppery.
1605. Shaks., Lear, V. iii. 303. All Friends shall Taste the wages of their vertue.
a. 1770. Jortin, Serm. (1787), I. vi. 122. Yet we may shew the same temper … by loving our religion and liberties better than the wages of slavery and iniquity.
1864. Swinburne, Atalanta, 2205. The gods give thee fair wage and dues of death.
1915. A. Smellie, Lift up your Heart, i. 31. He, our Kinsman and Redeemer … bears no relationship to sin any more. He has shaken off its wage and tyranny.
† 3. A payment for the use or possession of property. Obs. rare.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys, Marg., 232. If she be bonde and vndyr seruage:… Hyr lord wyl I yeue ryht good wage And to my paramour hyr yndyrfonge.
1562. in Strype, Ann. Ref., xxvii. (1709), 286. The said incumbents paying to the owners, by the wage of a yearly pension, the yearly rent of all such impropriations.
1592. West, 1st Pt. Symbol., I. § 25. Letting and hyring … is a Contract by consent of the making or vsing of some thing for a certeine rent, hier or wage.
1628. Gaule, Pract. Theories (1629), 183. How grossely doth hee [sc. Judas] vndervalue him in this sale, and wage, and rate?
4. attrib. and Comb. (usually in sing., wage-). a. simple attrib., as wage-labour, -rate, -slave, -slavery, -work, -worker; b. objective, as wage-earner, -earning vbl. sb. and ppl. adj., -paying, -winner; † wages-taking ppl. adj.; also † wages-fellow, contemptuously, one who receives wages; wages-fund Pol. Econ. (also wage-fund), that part of the total capital of a community which is available for paying wages; wages-man Austral., a man who works for wages; wage(s-sheet, the list of wages paid by an employer of labor.
1885. Manch. Exam., 20 Feb., 5/1. Trade will always fluctuate, *wage-earners will always suffer as a consequence.
1865. Sat. Rev., 12 Aug., 203. The *wages-earning and beef-eating qualities of the Briton.
1884. Times (weekly ed.), 10 Oct., 7/2. To turn their young children into wage-earning machines.
1902. Edin. Rev., Oct., 402. Education … may do much to … raise the power of wage-earning.
1641. Brome, Joviall Crew, IV. i. (1652), I 3 b. That she should sleight me, and run away with a *wages-fellow, that is but a petty Cleark and a Serving-man.
1848. Mill, Pol. Econ., II. xi. § 1. I. 402. There is unfortunately no mode of expressing by one familiar term, the aggregate of what may be called the *wages-fund of a country.
1863. Fawcett, Pol. Econ., II. viii. 241. The remark has frequently been made that the capital of the country provides its wage-fund. This wage-fund is distributed amongst the whole wage-receiving population, and therefore, the average of each individual’s wages cannot increase unless either the number of those who receive wages is diminished, or the wage-fund, which, in other words, may be described as the capital of the country, is increased.
1871. Kingsley, At Last, xvi. Those who cultivate some scrap of ground, or follow some petty occupation, which prevents their depending entirely on *wage-labour.
1888. ‘R. Boldrewood,’ Robbery under Arms, xxvi. They took up a claim…. Then they got a *wages-man to help them, and all four used to work like niggers. Ibid. (1890), Miner’s Right, iii. 23. One would think I was a wagesman, the way you three coves bosses it over me.
1868. Ruskin, Time & Tide (1872), 7. This principle of regular *wage-paying.
1898. Edin. Rev., April, 278. *Wage-rates are … the chief cause of trade disputes.
1903. Daily Chron., 9 July, 4/4. The cotton spinners … had to diminish their output and the *wage-sheet.
1906. Westm. Gaz., 14 Nov., 10/1. Mr. Farrell quoted figures from his wages-sheet to prove that ability and competence … have to be paid for.
1886. Mallock, Old Order Changes, II. 29. The hands, as you call them, the poor jaded underfed *wage-slaves.
1903. Dubl. Rev., Oct., 243. The attitude taken up by the Pope … in regard to *wage-slavery.
1552. Huloet, *Wages takyng, stipendiatus.
1902. J. P. Struthers, Life & Lett. (1918), 279. They were the chief *wage-winners in the house.
1870. Tennyson, Coming of Arthur, 417. Dark sayings … echo’d by old folk beside their fires, For comfort after their *wage-work is done.
1888. Boston (Mass.) Jrnl., 17 July, 2/3. Free trade’s bitterest foe is the American *wageworker.
