Definition of the word hedge

The origin of the word "hedge" can be traced back to the Old English word "hæg," which meant "ankle" or "anklet." This is believed to be because the original function of a hedge was not to enclose fields, but to mark out the territory where people were buried and to prevent people from accidentally stepping on graves. As settlements grew, the function of hedges changed, and they were used to enclose fields and keep livestock in or out. The word "hæg" came to be associated more with this new function, and its meaning evolved over time to become "a row of posts or stakes binding together bushes or other plants for the purpose of enclosure or defence." Over time, "hæg" developed into the Middle English "hege," which retained much of the same meaning. The modern English word "hedge" descends from this Middle English form. While its meaning has remained mostly unchanged over the centuries, "hedge" has come to refer not just to a physical barrier, but also to a way of thinking, as in "hedging one's bets" or "hedging one's statements."