Online Etymology Dictionary

tag (1): "small hanging piece," 1402, perhaps from a Scand. source (cf. Norw. tagg "point, prong," Swed. tagg "prickle, thorn") cognate with tack (1). Meaning "label" is first recorded 1835; sense of "automobile license plate" is recorded from 1935, originally underworld slang. Meaning "an epithet, popular designation" is recorded from 1961, hence slang verb meaning "to write graffiti in public places" (1990). The verb meaning "to furnish with a tag" is from 1436. To tag along is first recorded 1900.
tag (2): "children's game," 1738, perhaps a variation of Scot. tig "touch, tap" (1721), probably an alteration of M.E. tek "touch, tap" (see tick (2)). The verb in the baseball sense is recorded from 1907; the adj. in the pro wrestling sense is recorded from 1955.
Tagalog: people living near Manila in the Philippines, also their language, 1704, from Tagalog taga "native to" + ilog "river."
advantage: early 14c., "position of being in advance of another," from O.Fr. avantage, from avant "before," probably via an unrecorded L.L. *abantaticum, from L. abante (see advance). The -d- is a 16c. intrusion on the analogy of Latin ad- words. Meaning "a favoring circumstance" (the opposite of disadvantage) is from late 15c. Tennis score sense is from 1640s, first recorded in writings of John Milton, of all people. Phrase to take advantage of is first attested late 14c.
advantageous: c.1600, from Fr. avantageux, from avantage (see advantage).
antagonise: British spelling of antagonize; see -ize.
antagonism: 1838, from Gk. antagonisma, noun of action from antagonizesthai "to struggle against" (see antagonist).
antagonist: c.1600, from L. antagonista, from Gk. antagonistes "competitor, opponent, rival," from antagonizesthai "to struggle against," from anti- "against" + agonizesthai "to contend for a prize," from agon "contest" (see agony). Originally in battle or sport, extended 1620s to any sphere of human activity. Related: Antagonistic (1630s).
antagonize: 1630s, "to compete with," from Gk. antagonizesthai "to struggle against" (see antagonist). Meaning "to struggle against continuously" is recorded from 1742.
Bundestag: Ger. federal council, 1879, from Ger., from gen. of Bund "league, confederacy, association" (related to Eng. band (2) and bind) + tag, lit. "day;" as a verb, tagen, meaning "to sit in conference" (c.f. adjourn).
cartage: 1428, from cart.
contagion: late 14c., from Fr. contagion, from L. contagionem "a touching, contact, contagion," from contingere "touch closely" (see contact).
contagious: late 14c., from O.Fr. contagieus, from L.L. contagiosus, from contingere "touch closely" (see contact).
cottage: late 13c., from O.Fr. cotage, from cote "hut, cottage" + Anglo-Norm. suffix -age (probably denoting "the entire property attached to a cote"). O.Fr. cot is probably from O.N. kot "hut," cognate of O.E. cot, cote "cottage, hut," from P.Gmc. *kut. Meaning "small country residence" (without suggestion of poverty or tenancy) is from 1765. First record of cottage cheese is from 1848. Cottage industry is attested from 1921.
curettage: 1897, from curette (q.v.).
decolletage: 1894, from décolleté "low-necked" (1831), from Fr. décolleter "to bare the neck and shoulders," from des- "from" + collet, dim. of col (L. collum) "neck" (see collar).
disadvantage (n.): late 14c., from Fr. desavantage (13c.); see dis- + advantage. The verb is attested from 1530s, from the noun.
disadvantaged: 1610s, pp. adj. from disadvantage. Of races or classes deprived of opportunities for advancement, from 1902, a word popularized by sociologists. As a noun, shorthand for disadvantaged persons, it is attested by 1939.
disadvantageous: c.1600, from disadvantage + -ous.
dotage: c.1300, from dote + -age. Originally of all sorts of mental impairment, not just that resulting from old age.
etagere: 1858, from Fr. étagère, from étage "shelf, story."
footage: 1916, "the length of film used in a scene, etc.," from foot as a measure of length.
frontage: 1620s, from front + -age.
frottage: 1933, from Fr. frottage "rubbing, friction," from frotter "to rub," from O.Fr. froter, of unknown origin. As a paraphilia, it is known as frotteurism.
heptagon: 1570, from Gk. heptagonon, from hepta "seven" (cognate with L. septem, Goth. sibun, O.E. seofon; see seven) + gonia "angle" (see knee).
heritage: early 13c., "that which may be inherited," from O.Fr. eritage, from heriter "inherit," from L.L. hereditare, ult. from L. heres (gen. heredis) "heir" (see heredity).
hostage: c.1275, from O.Fr. hostage "person given as security or hostage," either from hoste "guest" (see host (1)) via notion of "a lodger held by a landlord as security," or from L.L. obsidanus "condition of being held as security," from obses "hostage," from ob- "before" + base of sedere "to sit." Modern political/terrorism sense is from 1970s.
montage: 1929, from Fr. montage "a mounting," from O.Fr. monter "to go up, mount" (see mount (v.)). Originally a term in cinematography.
mutagen: 1946, from mutation + -gen, from Gk. -genes "formation, creation" (see genus). Related: Mutagenic.
mystagogue: "person who initiates into mysteries," c.1550, from Gk. mystes "one initiated into the mysteries" (see mystery) + agogos "leading, a leader" (see act).
octagon: 1650s, from L. octagonos, from Gk. oktagononos, lit. "eight-angled," from okta- comb. form of okto "eight" (see eight) + gonia "angle," related to gony "knee" (see knee).
octagonal: 1570s, from octagon.
outage: "period or condition in which electrical power is disconnected," 1903, Amer.Eng.; formed on model of shortage (see short).
pentagon: plane figure with five angles and five sides, 1570, from M.Fr. pentagone, from L.L. pentagonum "pentagon," from Gk. pentagonon, properly neut. of adj. pentagonos "five-angled," from pente "five" + gonia "angle" (see knee). The U.S. military headquarters Pentagon was completed 1942, so called for its shape; used allusively for "U.S. military leadership" from 1945.
pentagram: "five-pointed star," 1833, from Gk. pentagrammon, properly neut. of adj. pentagrammos "having five lines," from pente "five" + gramma "what is written."
portage: 1423, "action of carrying," from O.Fr. portage "tax paid on entering a town," from porter "to carry," from L. portare "to carry" (see port (1)). Sense of "carrying of boats from one navigable water to another" is from 1698, reinforced in Canadian Fr.
postage: "cost of sending something by mail," 1654, from post (3). Postage stamp is attested from 1840; they were recorded as being collected in albums by 1862.
pottage: early 13c., lit. "that which is put in a pot," from O.Fr. potage "soup," from pot "pot" (see pot (1)).
protagonist: 1671, "principal character in a story, drama, etc.," from Gk. protagonistes "actor who plays the chief or first part," from protos "first" (see proto-) + agonistes "actor, competitor," from agon "contest" (see act). Meaning "leading person in any cause or contest" is from 1889. Mistaken sense of "advocate, supporter" (1935) is from misreading of Gk. protos as L. pro- "for."
ragtag: 1820, from rag (n.) + tag; originally in expression rag-tag and bobtail "the rabble" (tag-rag and bobtail is found in 1659), from bobtail "cur," 1619. Tag and rag was "very common in 16-17th c." [OED]
Reichstag: "German imperial parliament" (1871-1918), earlier used of the parliament of the North German Confederacy, 1867, from Ger. Reich "empire, kingdom" (from O.H.G. rihhi, related to O.E. rice, from P.Gmc. *rikja "rule") + Tag "assembly," lit. "day" (see day).
reportage: "the describing of events," 1891; see report.
sabotage (n.): 1910, from Fr. sabotage, from saboter "to sabotage, bungle," lit. "walk noisily," from sabot "wooden shoe" (13c.), altered (by association with O.Fr. bot "boot") from M.Fr. savate "old shoe," from an unidentified source that also produced similar words in O.Prov., Port., Sp., It., Arabic and Basque. In Fr., the sense of "deliberately and maliciously destroying property" originally was in ref. to labor disputes, but the oft-repeated story that the modern meaning derives from strikers' supposed tactic of throwing old shoes into machinery is not supported by the etymology. Likely it was not meant as a literal image; the word was used in Fr. in a variety of "bungling" senses, such as "to play a piece of music badly." The verb is first attested 1918 in Eng., from the noun. Saboteur is 1921, a borrowing from Fr.
stag: c.1185, probably from O.E. *stagga "stag," from P.Gmc. *stag- (see sting). The O.N. equivalent was used of male foxes, tomcats and dragons and the Gmc. root word probably originally meant "male animal in its prime." Meaning "pertaining to or composed of males only" (stag party) is Amer.Eng. slang from 1848. Stag film "pornographic movie" is attested from 1968.
stage (n.): c.1300, "story of a building, raised floor for exhibitions," from O.Fr. estage "a story or floor of a building, stage for performance," from V.L. *staticum "a place for standing," from L. statum, pp. of stare "to stand" (see stet). Meaning "platform for presentation of a play" is attested from 1548; generalized for "profession of an actor" from 1589. Sense of "period of development or time in life" first recorded 1608, probably from M.E. sense of "degree or step on the 'ladder' of virtue, 'wheel' of fortune, etc.," in parable illustrations and morality plays. The verb meaning "to put (a play) on the stage" first recorded 1879; general sense of "to mount" (a comeback, etc.) is attested from 1924. Stage-coach is 1658, from the sense of "division of a journey without stopping for rest" (1603). Stage mother is from 1919. Stage-Door Johnny "young man who frequents stage doors seeking the company of actresses, chorus girls, etc." is attested from 1912. Stage-struck is from 1813; earlier stage-smitten (1682). Stage-whisper first attested 1865.
stagflation: 1965, apparently coined by U.K. Conservative party finance minister Iain Macleod, from stag(nation) + (in)flation.
stagger: 1530, altered from stakeren (c.1300), from O.N. stakra or O.Dan. stagra, both "to push, stagger." Cognate with Du. staggelen "to stagger," Ger. staggeln "to stammer." Trans. sense of "bewilder, amaze" first recorded 1556; that of "arrange in a zig-zag pattern" is from 1856. Staggering "amazing" is attested from 1565.
staging: to designate "stopping place or assembly point," 1945, from stage (n.)
stagnant: 1666, from Fr. stagnant (1611), from L. stagnantem (nom. stagnans), prp. of stagnare (see stagnate).
stagnate: 1665 (implied in stagnation), from L. stagnatum, stagnatus, pp. of stagnare "to stagnate," from stagnatum "standing water," from PIE base *stag- "to seep drip" (cf. Gk. stazein "to ooze, drip;" see stalactite).