Etymology Dictionary

BAGGAGE (1),  travellers' luggage.  (F.,—C.)   M. E. baggage, bagage; occurring in the piece called Chaucer's Dream, by an anonymous author, l. 1555; and in Hall, Chron. Rich. III, an. 3.—O. F. bagage, a collection of bundles, from O. F. bague, a bundle.   From a Celtic root, appearing in Breton beac'h, a bundle, W. baich, a burden, Gael. bag, balg, a wallet; cognate with E. bag.   See Bag.   ¶ Diez also cites Span. baga, a rope used for tying bundles; but this Span. word is (perhaps) itself from the same Celtic root.   It again appears in the Lombard baga, a wine-skin, a bag.

BAGGAGE (2),  a worthless woman.  (F.)   Corrupted from O. F. bagasse.   Cotgrave explains bagasse by 'a baggage, quean, jyll, punke, flirt.'   Burguy gives the forms baiasse, bajasse, bagasse, a chamber-maid, light woman.   Cf. Ital. bagascia, a worthless woman.   β. Etym. doubtful.   Perhaps originally a camp-follower; and derived from O. F. bague, a bundle, of Celtic origin; see above.