English
gallow
Gallow comes from Old English *gǣlwan ‘to alarm, frighten’.
- Old Englishc. 450–1150*gǣlwan‘to alarm, frighten’reconstructed
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*galowenreconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1606gallow
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Old Englishc. 450–1150*gǣlwan‘to alarm, frighten’reconstructed
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*galowenreconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1606gallow
Earliest quotation: c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of King Lear: “The wrathful skies / Gallow the very wanderers of…”
The story
From Middle English *galowen, *galewen, *galwen (attested in begalewen (‘to frighten’)), from Old English *gǣlwan, *gēlwan (attested in āgǣlwed, āgēlwed (‘stupified, astonished, disconcerted’)), of unknown origin.uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain. Alternative forms gally, galley perhaps influenced by Middle English galyen, galien, variants of galen (‘to cry out, shout, make a harsh cry’), from Old English galan (‘to sing, call’).
Every English word from Old English *gǣlwan
Today it means
verb To frighten, alarm, scare, or terrify.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old English *gǣlwan / gallow