Pontage
/ˈpɒn.tɪdʒ/noun
A toll or charge formerly collected for crossing or maintaining a bridge.
Did you know?In medieval England, pontage grants allowed authorities to collect money specifically for repairing bridges, making the word part of the legal vocabulary of dangerous crossings and travel.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pent-
“To go, tread, or make one’s way along a route”
Ancient Greek
Greek
póntos
“A path or passage, later especially the sea”
Classical Latin
Latin
pons
“Bridge”
Medieval Latin
Latin
pontaticum
“A payment or toll connected with a bridge”
12th–13th Century
Old French
pontage
“A toll levied for crossing or maintaining a bridge”
Middle English
English
pontage
“A bridge toll or payment for bridge repair”