pawn vs pledge

pawn

verb
  • To give as security on a loan of money; especially, to deposit (something) at a pawn shop. 

  • To pledge; to stake or wager. 

noun
  • A gallery. 

  • Someone who is being manipulated or used to some end. 

  • An instance of pawning something. 

  • A pawnshop; pawnbroker. 

  • The state of being held as security for a loan, or as a pledge. 

  • The most numerous chess piece, or a similar piece in a similar game. In chess, each side starts with eight; moves are only forward, and attacks are only diagonally or en passant. 

pledge

verb
  • To deposit something as a security; to pawn. 

  • To make a solemn promise (to do something). 

  • To give assurance of friendship by the act of drinking; to drink to one's health. 

noun
  • A solemn promise to do something. 

  • The personal property so pledged, to be kept until the debt is paid. 

  • A bailment of personal property to secure payment of a debt without transfer of title. 

  • A person who has taken a pledge of allegiance to a college fraternity, but is not yet formally approved. 

  • A drinking toast. 

  • An asset or person temporarily handed over to guarantee the fulfilment of something promised, under threat of permanent loss of the thing handed over; surety, security, hostage. 

  • A promise to abstain from drinking alcohol. 

How often have the words pawn and pledge occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )