Where does “gallows” come from?
Gallows derives from Middle English galwes, from Old English ġealga, from Proto-Germanic galgô, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰalgʰ-, of uncertain ultimate origin and meaning.
gallows (English): Wooden framework on which persons are put to...
Definitions
- Wooden framework on which persons are put to...
Ancestry of “gallows”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | galwes | gallows |
| 2 | Old English | galga | — |
| 3 | Frankish | galgō | measuring rod, pole; gallows |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | galgô | a rod, pole, stake; a beam, cross-beam, rafter; a... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰAlgʰ- | — |
Words derived from “gallows”