Oblige
/əˈblaɪdʒ/noun
To require or constrain someone to do something, or to do a favor for someone.
Did you know?Oblige comes from Latin obligare, literally “to bind to,” and its deeper root is the same one behind bond, league, and religion’s idea of being bound by sacred obligation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leig-
“to bind, tie”
Latin
Latin
obligare
“to bind to, fasten, restrict”
Late Latin
Latin
obligare
“to place under an obligation; to compel”
Old French
Old French
oblijer
“to bind legally or morally; to compel”
Middle English
English
obligen / oblige
“to bind by duty or favor”
Modern English
English
oblige
“to make indebted or to do a favor for”
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