English word employ comes from Proto-Indo-European *pleḱ- (to plait, to weave), and later Latin implicare (to infold, involve, engage) and Middle French employer (to employ, to use, to make use of)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| in | Latin (lat) | in |
| *pleḱ- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| plecto | Latin (lat) | I plait, weave, braid. I twist, bend, turn I blame. I punish; I beat. |
| implicare | Latin (lat) | to infold, involve, engage |
| emploiier | Old French (fro) | (transitive) to fold (something) on itself. (transitive) to use; to make use of. |
| employer | Middle French (frm) | To employ; to use; to make use of. |
| employ | English (en) | To hire (somebody for work or a job).. To make busy.. To use (somebody for a job, or something for a task). The state of being an employee; employment. |