English

goback

Deverbal from go back.

A compound of go + back

Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeh₁- ‘to leave’

Proto-Germanic *gāną ‘to go’

Proto-West Germanic *gān ‘to go’

Old English gān ‘to go’

Middle English gon

English go

Proto-Germanic *baką ‘back’

Proto-West Germanic *bak

Old English bæc

Middle English bak ‘the back’

English back

Today it means

noun An emigrant heading west on the Oregon Trail who gave up and turned back to the east.

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