Where does “gain-” come from?

gain- (English) comes from Middle English gain-, from Old English geġn-, from Proto-Germanic gagin — towards, in the direction of; against.

gain- (English): Prefix meaning "against", "contrary to", "in...

Definitions

  1. Prefix meaning "against", "contrary to", "in...

Ancestry of “gain-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishgain-
2Old Englishgeġn-opposition, reversal, against; counter
3Proto-Germanicgagintowards, in the direction of; against

Words derived from “gain-

Every word from Proto-Germanic gaginEvery word from Middle English gain-Every word from Old English geġn-