English

gallybagger

From gally (“to frighten”) + bagger (“beggar”).

A compound of gally ‘to frighten’ + bagger ‘beggar’

Proto-West Germanic *gallag

Old English gealliġ ‘sour, sharp, bitter, sad’

Middle English gally

English gally

Middle English bagger

Today it means

noun A scarecrow.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / gallybagger