English
gain
Gain comes from Middle English gayn ‘profit’, from Old Norse gagn ‘benefit’, from Proto-Germanic *gagną, ultimately from PIE *ḱóm.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱóm‘next to’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ga-‘with’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gagana‘back’reconstructedreduplication of *ga-
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gagnąreconstructed
- Old Norsec. 800–1350gagn‘benefit’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500gayn‘profit’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588gain
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱóm‘next to’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ga-‘with’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gagana‘back’reconstructedreduplication of *ga-
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gagnąreconstructed
- Old Norsec. 800–1350gagn‘benefit’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500gayn‘profit’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588gain
Earliest quotation: c. 1587–1588, Christopher Marlowe, Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […]: “All running headlong after greedie ſpoiles: And more regarding…”
The story
The Middle English word was reinforced by Middle French gain (‘gain, profit, advancement, cultivation’), from Old French gaaing, gaaigne, gaigne, a noun derivative of gaaignier, gaigner (‘to till, earn, win’), from Frankish *waiþanōn (‘to pasture, graze, hunt for food’), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *waiþiz, *waiþō, *waiþijō (‘pasture, field, hunting ground’); compare Old High German weidōn, weidanōn (‘to hunt, forage for food’) (Modern German Weide (‘pasture’)), Old Norse veiða (‘to catch, hunt’), Old English wǣþan (‘to hunt, chase, pursue’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm ‘next to, at, with, along’
among, conference, consider, competition, counter, consistent, concrete, con, comply, cum, commodity, cue, compulsory, likeness, contra, compel, concierge, hind, connotation, kata, condiment, condescend, 32 more
through Proto-Germanic *ga- ‘with, together’
Another origin of gain
- Old Norsec. 800–1350gegn‘straight, direct, short, ready, serviceable, kindly’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500gayn‘straight, direct, short, fit, good’
- Englishtodaygain
Today it means
verb To acquire possession of.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm / gain