Where does “gaai” come from?

gaai (Dutch) comes from Old French gai, from Old Occitan gai, from Proto-Germanic ganhuz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰengʰ- — to walk; to step.

gaai (Dutch): The jaybird, Garrulus glandarinus, a woodland...

Definitions

  1. The jaybird, Garrulus glandarinus, a woodland...

Ancestry of “gaai”, step by step

gaai traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old French gai

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchgaihappy; cheerful; gay
2Old Occitangaihappy; joyous
3Proto-Germanicganhuzfast, quick
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰengʰ-to walk; to step

via Middle Dutch papagoie

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Dutchpapagoie—
2Arabicبَبَّغَاءparrot
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰengʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic ganhuz →Every word from Old Occitan gai →