English
gamer
Gamer comes from Middle English game ‘Sexual or romantic dalliance’, from Old English gamen ‘game, sport, or pastime’, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *gamaną ‘pleasure, enjoyment, joy’.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gamaną‘pleasure, enjoyment, joy’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*gaman‘pleasure, fun, amusement, entertainment’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150gamen‘game, sport, or pastime’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500game‘Sexual or romantic dalliance’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500gamer
- Englishearliest quotation 1422same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gamaną‘pleasure, enjoyment, joy’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*gaman‘pleasure, fun, amusement, entertainment’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150gamen‘game, sport, or pastime’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500game‘Sexual or romantic dalliance’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500gamer
- Englishearliest quotation 1422same form
Earliest quotation: 1422, Code of Laws of Walsall: “[…] any dice-player, carder, tennis player, or other unlawful…”
Formed from game + -er
Proto-Germanic *gamaną ‘amusement, pleasure’
Proto-West Germanic *gaman ‘pleasure, fun, amusement’
Old English gamen ‘sport, game, pastime’
Middle English game
English game
The story
From Middle English gamer, attested since before 1450 as a common noun and possibly since 1248 in the name of one Johannes le Gamer.
Linked words
through Proto-Germanic *gamaną ‘pleasure, enjoyment, joy’
through Old English gamen ‘game, sport, or pastime’
Today it means
noun A person who plays any kind of game.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *gamaną / gamer