Meaning

noun a deposit of personal property as security for a debt

noun someone accepted for membership but not yet fully admitted to the group

noun a drink in honor of or to the health of a person or event

originFrom Middle English plege, from Anglo-Norman plege, from Old French plege (Modern French pleige) from Medieval Latin plevium, plebium, from plebiō (“to pledge”), from Frankish *plehan (“to pledge; to support; to guarantee”). Akin to Old High German pflegan (“to take care of, be accustomed to”), Old Saxon plegan (“to vouch for”), Old English plēon (“to risk, endanger”). More at plight.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0