Etymology
1. "work with, use," c.1300, shortened form of
applien "join to, apply," from O.Fr.
aplier, from L.
applicare "to attach, apply," from
op- "on" +
plicare "to lay, fold, twist," from PIE base
*plek- "to plait, twist" (cf. Gk.
plekein "to plait," L.
plectere "to plait, braid, intertwine," O.C.S.
plesti "to braid, plait, twist," Goth.
flahta "braid"). Sense of "travel regularly" is first 1803.
2. From Middle English plīen, pli, plie (“to bend, fold, mould, shape; to be flexible; to be submissive, humble oneself; to compel someone to submit”), from Anglo-Norman plier, plaier, pleier, ploier, and Middle French plier, ployer (“to bend, fold; to be submissive; to compel someone to submit”) (modern French plier, ployer), from Old French ploiier, pleier (“to fold”), from Latin plicāre (“to fold”); see further at etymology 1. The word is cognate with Catalan plegar (“to bend, fold”), Italian piegare (“to bend, fold, fold up”), Old Occitan plegar, plejar, pleyar (“to fold”) (modern Occitan plegar), Spanish plegar (“to fold”). See: Anglo-Norman '
plier', Middle French '
plier', French '
plier', Old French '
ploiier', Latin '
plico', Valencian '
plegar', Italian '
piegare', Old Occitan '
plegar', Occitan '
plegar', Spanish '
plegar'.
Verbs referencing "ply"
Spanish
plegar.