English
God
God comes from Proto-West Germanic *god ‘god, deity’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *gudą.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gudą‘god, deity’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*god‘god, deity’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150god
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500God
- Englishearliest quotation 1563same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gudą‘god, deity’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*god‘god, deity’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150god
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500God
- Englishearliest quotation 1563same form
Earliest quotation: 1563, Barnabe Googe, Eglogs: “A God there is, that guyds the Globe, and…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰew- ‘to pour’
chemist, futile, gust, futility, gush, geyser, ingot, 23 more
through Proto-West Germanic *god ‘god, deity’
through Old English god
through Middle English God
Today it means
name The first deity of various theistic religions, and the only deity in monotheism.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *gudą / God