Etymograph

English

gold rush

From gold + rush.

A compound of gold + rush

Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- ‘green, yellow’

…

Proto-Germanic *gulþą ‘gold’

Proto-West Germanic *golþ

Old English gold ‘gold’

Middle English gold ‘gold’

English gold

Middle English ruschen ‘to rush, startle’

English rush

The story

First use appears c. 1848 in the Oregon Spectator.

Today it means

noun Any period of feverish migration into an area in which gold has been discovered.

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

Etymograph / gold rush