Where does “gambling” come from?
Gambling comes from the English verb gamble, which derives from Middle English gamlen and gamenen, ultimately from Old English gæmnian, a verb formation using the Proto-Germanic prefix ga- and root gamaną.
gambling (English): present participle of gamble; An activity...
Definitions
- present participle of gamble; An activity...
Ancestry of “gambling”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | gamble | A bet or wager; A significant risk, undertaken... |
| 2 | English | gamel | — |
| 3 | Middle English | gamlen | — |
| 4 | Middle English | gamenen | Alternative form of gamen |
| 5 | Old English | gamenian | to entertain or enjoy oneself; to display... |
| 6 | Old English | gamen | game, sport, or pastime; joy, mirth, or pleasure |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | gaman | pleasure, fun, amusement, entertainment |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | gamaną | a fellow human, associate, companion; pleasure,... |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | ga- | Indicates association or togetherness; co-;... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóm | beside, near, by, with |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱe | Deictic particle, here; Post-positional... |
| 12 | Middle English | kyt | — |
| 13 | German | kitt | putty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes |
| 14 | Old High German | kuti | — |
| 15 | Proto-West Germanic | kwidu | gum, resin |
| 16 | Proto-Germanic | kweduz | resin |