Where does “Gary” come from?
Gary (Cebuano) comes from English Gary, from English gari, from Japanese カリ, from Dutch kali, from Javanese ꦏꦭ, from Old Javanese kali, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian kali, from Proto-Austronesian kalih — inchoative.
Ancestry of “Gary”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Gary | shortened form of Gary Glitter |
| 2 | English | gari | spear |
| 3 | Japanese | カリ | Short for カリウム |
| 4 | Dutch | kali | river |
| 5 | Javanese | ꦏꦭ | time; season; bird noose or snare |
| 6 | Old Javanese | kali | river |
| 7 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | kali | to dig up; to excavate |
| 8 | Proto-Austronesian | kalih | to dig up; to excavate |
| 9 | Old Javanese | ka- | passive verb-forming prefix |
| 10 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | ka- | marker of past time in temporal expressions |
| 11 | Proto-Austronesian | ka- | inchoative |