Etymograph

English

gavel

Gavel comes from Middle English gavel ‘a tax’, from Proto-Germanic *gebaną ‘to give’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰebʰ-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰebʰ-‘to give, move’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰebʰ-e-tireconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gebaną‘to give’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*gabulreconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150gafol‘tax’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500gavel‘a tax’
  7. Englishtodaysame form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰebʰ-‘to give, move’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰebʰ-e-tireconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gebaną‘to give’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*gabulreconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150gafol‘tax’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500gavel‘a tax’
  7. Englishtodaysame form

Formed from give + -el

Proto-Indo-European *gʰebʰ- ‘to give’

Proto-Germanic *gebaną ‘to give’

Proto-West Germanic *geban ‘to give’

Old English ġiefan ‘to give’

Middle English yiven ‘to give’

English give

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *gʰebʰ- ‘to give, move’

hydrocephalus, cephalic, 17 more

through Proto-Indo-European *gʰebʰ-e-ti

forgive, 1 more

through Proto-Germanic *gebaną ‘to give’

give, gift, 6 more

through Middle English gavel ‘a tax’

gale

Another origin of gavel

  1. Old Norsec. 800–1350kefli‘a piece of wood, stick, cylinder, mangle’uncertain
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500kevel‘a mason's hammer’uncertain
  3. English1500–presentsame form‘a stone mason's axe with a flat face, a cleat or bollard’uncertain
  4. Englishtodaygavel

Another origin of gavel

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcapōas capere‘to lay hold of, seize’uncertain
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcapulus‘handle’uncertain
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400gavelle
  4. Englishtodaygavel

Modern French javelle) probably diminutive from Latin capulus (‘handle’), from capere (‘to lay hold of, seize’); or compare Welsh gafael (‘hold, grasp’).

Today it means

noun Rent.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʰebʰ- / gavel

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