English
ganger
Ganger comes from Old English gangere ‘a ganger, footman’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *gangārijaz.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gangārijazreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*gangārīreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150gangere‘a ganger, footman’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ganger
- Englishearliest quotation 1933same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gangārijazreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*gangārīreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150gangere‘a ganger, footman’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ganger
- Englishearliest quotation 1933same form
Earliest quotation: 1933, Frank Clune, Try Anything Once: “I was sent out to a little village called…”
Formed from gang + -er
Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰengʰ- ‘to step, walk’
…
Proto-Germanic *gangaz ‘going, way’
Proto-West Germanic *gang ‘way, going’
Old English gang ‘journey; way, passage’
Middle English gang ‘journey; company’
English gang
Every English word from Proto-Germanic *gangārijaz
Today it means
noun One who or that which walks or goes; a goer; a walker.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *gangārijaz / ganger