Although the fruit is native to Iran, English speakers began using the term “ gage” in honor of Sir William Gage, the English botanist responsible for introducing the plant to Europe in 1724. “ Throw up your gage” is another expression where the word “ gage” means ‘fight,’ where the overall phrase means ‘ forfeit the fight.’Īdditionally, the word “ gage” is also shorthand for a type of plum called Greengage. If someone took the glove, they accepted a challenge to fight. The Old French terms derived from Germanic origins and have connections to verbs like “wage” or “wed,” which makes sense if you consider the term’s archaic context.Įnglish speakers initially used “ gage” to mean ‘a token of defiance,’ which often appeared as an enemy’s glove. In the context of ‘risk’ or a ‘pledge,’ the word “ gage” stems back to Old French with gage (noun) or gager (verb). The word gage carries a different definition from gauge when it’s an archaic noun that describes a form of collateral, a pledge, or a type of fruit ( random, right?) While it seems bizarre to insist on a spelling that’s different from technical jargon, “ gauge” is more traditional than “ gage.” English speakers began using the word “ gauge” in Middle English to convey a standard of measurement, and we use this spelling variant nearly identical to the original Old French gauge (noun) and gauger (verb) ( or jauge and jauger from Old Northern French). Therefore, people who work in technical fields are more likely to see interchangeability between “ gage” and “ gauge,” while traditional English is more likely to use “ gauge.” The word “ gage” appears in industry jargon, but “ gauge” is still the preferred spelling for most English writers (and especially outside of American English). For example, if you “ gauged” the mood of a comedy show, you might say the audience is “amused” or “giddy.” The trick to this form of “ gauge” is that people rarely ever use “ gage,” which is partly why these terms are so tricky. It’s also common for English speakers to use “ gage” or “ gauge” when describing the act of analyzing the feelings or emotions of a situation. One of the most common ways to use “ gauge” and “ gage” interchangeably is to reference a device that measures, counts, or weighs something, such as a sensor, dipstick, dial, voltmeter. We can use the words “ gage” and “ gauge” as alternate spellings of the same word when they involve concepts of measurement, distance, or mathematics. When do the words gauge and gage mean the same thing? Most English dictionaries cite “ gage” as an alternative spelling of “ gauge,” but this pass in grammar only applies to specific instances. Whether you’re trying to “ gauge” the feeling of a room, place a “ gauge” on a motorcycle, or discuss the standard gauge of a gun barrel–– the spelling of “ gauge” trumps “ gage.”īut if you’re used to using “ gage” instead of “ gauge,” you’re not entirely wrong. The English Language contains several alternate word spellings, but if you’re feeling stuck between words like gauge and gage, The Word Counter has your back. What is the difference between gage and gauge?
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