Etymograph

English

gulliver

Gulliver comes from Russian голова́ ‘head’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *gelH-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gelH-‘head’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Balto-Slavicc. 2000–500 BCE*galˀwā́ˀ‘head’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Slavicc. 400–900 CE*golva‘head’reconstructed
  4. Old East Slavicmodernголова
  5. Russianmodernголова́golová‘head’
  6. Englishtodaygulliver

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gelH-‘head’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Balto-Slavicc. 2000–500 BCE*galˀwā́ˀ‘head’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Slavicc. 400–900 CE*golva‘head’reconstructed
  4. Old East Slavicmodernголова
  5. Russianmodernголова́golová‘head’
  6. Englishtodaygulliver

The story

Probably initially popularized by the Russian-influenced argot spoken by characters in the 1962 novel A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. Spelling influenced by Gulliver.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *gelH- ‘head’

gallic, gallium, callow, 4 more

Today it means

noun one's head.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gelH- / gulliver

Shirt and support for this word