mortgaged
UK[ˈmɔːɡɪdʒd]US[ˈmɔːrɡɪdʒd]
adj
(of a property or asset) pledged as security for the repayment of a loan.
verb (past tense and past participle)
to pledge (a property or asset) as security for the repayment of a loan.
Morpheme Breakdown
mort
gage
d
mort
dead
gage
pledge
d
past tense suffix
Etymology
the word 'mortgage' originates from old french mort gage, literally meaning "dead pledge." this legal term described a conditional pledge that became void ("dead") once the loan was fully repaid or, conversely, if the borrower failed to meet the terms, resulting in the permanent loss of the property. the element mort (death) from latin mortem and gage (pledge) combine to capture this finality. the modern verb 'mortgaged' retains this core concept of a binding pledge, with the added '-d' suffix indicating the past action or resultant state.
Analysis
Structure: mort (dead) + gage (pledge) + d (past tense suffix)
mort is from old french, from latin mors, mort- (death). gage is from old french, meaning a pledge or security. the suffix -d is the english regular past tense and past participle marker.
Examples
the house was already mortgaged to the bank, so they couldn't use it as collateral for another loan.
they mortgaged their future earnings to finance the new business venture.
the farm, heavily mortgaged after years of poor harvests, was finally foreclosed.