Barry Ritholtz via The Big Picture on Wed, 23 Jul. 2008
What is a dead pledge? Well, that is the literal translation of the word mortgage:1390, from O.Fr. morgage (13c.), mort gaige, lit. "dead pledge" (replaced in modern Fr. by hypothèque), from mort "dead" + gage "pledge;" so called because the deal dies either when the debt is paid or when payment fails. O.Fr. mort is from V.L. *mort readmore
