Meaning

noun the condition of a peon

noun the practice of making a debtor work for his creditor until the debt is discharged

originEtymology tree English peon Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātus Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icus Latin -āticus Latin -āticum Old French -agebor. Middle English -age English -age English peonage From peon + -age.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0