English
Giles
Giles comes from Ancient Greek αἰγίδιον ‘kid, young goat’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyǵ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eyǵ-‘goat’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*aíks‘goat’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEαἴξ‘goat’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEαἰγίδιονaigídion‘kid, young goat’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΑἰγίδιοςAigídiosderivative of αἰγίδιον
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEAegīdius
- Englishearliest quotation 2017Giles
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eyǵ-‘goat’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*aíks‘goat’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEαἴξ‘goat’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEαἰγίδιονaigídion‘kid, young goat’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΑἰγίδιοςAigídiosderivative of αἰγίδιον
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEAegīdius
- Englishearliest quotation 2017Giles
Earliest quotation: 2017, Vanessa Potter, My sudden synesthesia: how I went blind and started hearing : “Daniel Hajas is a physics undergraduate at Sussex and…”
The story
Medieval English form of Old French saints' name Giles, modern Gilles, an altered form of Latin Aegīdius, from Ancient Greek Αἰγίδιος (Aigídios), derivative of αἰγίδιον (aigídion, “kid, young goat”).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyǵ- ‘goat’
through Ancient Greek αἴξ ‘goat’
Today it means
name A male given name from Ancient Greek.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyǵ- / Giles