-age

suffix forming nouns denoting:
1 an action (breakage; spillage).
2 a condition or function (bondage; a peerage).
3 an aggregate or number of (coverage; the peerage; acreage).
4 fees payable for; the cost of using (postage).
5 the product of an action (dosage; wreckage).
6 a place; an abode (anchorage; orphanage; parsonage).
Etymology: OF ult. f. L -aticum neut. of adj. suffix -aticus -ATIC

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-age

suffix of abstr. nouns, originally in words adopted from Fr., afterwards a living Eng. formative. [OFr. -age:—late L. -āticum, a favourite termination of abstr. ns. of appurtenance, and collectives; orig. neuter of adjectives in -ātic-us. Cf. cl. L. silv-āticus of the wood (silva), It. selv-aggio, Pr. salv-atge, Fr. sauv-age, Eng. sav-age, with viāticus of or pertaining to a journey (via), viāticum that which pertains to a journey, provision for the way, later the making of a journey, Pr. viatge, It. viaggio, Fr. viage, voyage; umbrāticus of or pertaining to the shade, shady (umbra), late L. umbrāticum that which is shady, shadiness, a mass of shade, Fr. ombrage, Eng. umbrage. Afterwards a common formative in Fr. itself, as in entour-age; thence readopted in med.L. as -āgium: cf. homāgium, cariāgium, formed on Fr. hommage, cariage, which if formed in L. would have been *homināticum, *carricāticum.] Meaning.

1. From names of things, indicating that which belongs to or is functionally related to, as (from Fr.) language, potage, tonnage, umbrage, voyage; passing into the whole functional apparatus collectively, in baggage, foliage, plumage, village; whence of Eng. formation cellarage, cordage, fruitage, girderage, leafage, luggage, poundage, socage, vaultage, etc.

2. From names of persons, indicating function, sphere of action, condition, rank, as (from Fr.) baronage, homage, personage, vassalage, vicinage, villeinage, and of Eng. formation bondage, orphanage, parsonage, porterage, umpirage.

3. From verbs expressing action, as (from Fr.) advantage, damage, equipage, marriage, message, passage, pilgrimage, portage, usage; whence of Eng. formation breakage, brewage, cleavage, postage, prunage, steerage, wreckage, etc.