English
gift
Gift comes from Old English ġift and Old Norse gipt, from Proto-Germanic *giftiz ‘gift’, from *gebaną ‘to give’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰebʰ-‘to give; to take’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gebaną‘to give’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*giftiz‘giving, gift’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*giftireconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ġift‘marriage payment, dowry’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500yifte
- Englishearliest quotation 1910gift
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰebʰ-‘to give; to take’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gebaną‘to give’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*giftiz‘giving, gift’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*giftireconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ġift‘marriage payment, dowry’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500yifte
- Englishearliest quotation 1910gift
Earliest quotation: 1910, Emerson Hough, Indianapolis: “[…] it is not fair of you to bring…”
Formed from give + -t
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’
forgive, gavel, hydrocephalus, cephalic, 16 more
through Proto-Germanic *gebaną ‘to give’
Today it means
noun Something given to another voluntarily, without charge.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʰebʰ- / gift