Where does “gander” come from?
gander (Dutch) comes from English gander, from Middle English gandre, from Old English gandra, from Old English ganra, from Proto-Germanic *ganʀō, from Proto-Germanic ganzô, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰh₂éns — goose.
gander (Dutch): gander, male goose
Ancestry of “gander”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | gander | A male goose; A fool, simpleton; A glance, look |
| 2 | Middle English | gandre | gander |
| 3 | Old English | gandra | — |
| 4 | Old English | ganra | gander, male goose |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *ganʀō | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | ganzô | gander |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰh₂éns | goose |