Brokerage
/ˈbroʊ.kər.ɪdʒ/noun
The business or fee charged for arranging transactions, especially in finance or real estate.
Did you know?Broker and brokerage ultimately trace back to a Germanic root meaning a small fragment or broken piece, which is why the word’s history is tied to someone who “breaks” goods into deals and intermediates between buyers and sellers.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*brekaną
“to break”
Old French
OFr
broc
“a dealer or broker, especially one who handled goods or wine”
Middle English
ME
brokage
“the business or fee of a broker; also bribery or underhand dealing”
16th Century
English
brokerage
“the office, trade, or fee of a broker”
Modern English
English
brokerage
“the business of acting as an intermediary in transactions”