Equippage

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of attendants or followers accompanying someone ; the equipment, furnishings, or outfit that accompanies a person or thing
2. A retinue of servants or companions in someone's service ; the gear, supplies, or accessories that equip a person or entity
3. An entourage of attendants traveling with an important person ; the collection of equipment, garments, or provisions assembled for a particular purpose

Etymology: Before it meant a fine carriage with its horses and liveried servants, this word's core idea was simply fitting out, or supplying, a ship or an expedition. Its French ancestor, "équipage," belonged to the same family as "équiper," "to equip," and the family traces back to Old French "esquiper." That verb probably came from Old Norse "skipa," meaning "to man a ship," though the exact route is uncertain. English borrowed the French form, and "equippage" is a less common spelling of the same term, which is now mainly recorded as "equipage." Over time the sense narrowed from a ship's gear and crew to the whole display of a wealthy traveler: the carriage, the horses, and the attendants in livery. Its modern use is largely historical, found in writing about aristocratic or colonial-era travel.