Etymograph

English

garish

Garish may come from Middle English gawren ‘to stare’.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500gawren‘to stare’uncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1907garish

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500gawren‘to stare’uncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1907garish

Earliest quotation: 1907, Robert William Chambers, New York: “My tastes," he said, still smiling, "incline me to…”

The story

Unknown, possibly from obsolete Middle English gawren (‘to stare’) which is of uncertain origin, probably from Old Norse gá (‘to watch, heed’) or gaurr (‘rough fellow’) (Proto-Indo-European *gʰow-rós, from *gʰew- (‘to be angry’)).uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain.

Linked words

through Old Norse gá ‘to watch, heed’

gawk, gaw

Today it means

adj Overly ostentatious; so colorful as to be in bad taste.

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

Etymograph / Middle English gawren / garish

Shirt and support for this word