Where does “gander” come from?

Gander comes from Middle English gandre, from Old English gandra, from Proto-Germanic ganzô, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰh₂éns, a word for a male goose.

gander (English): A male goose; A fool, simpleton; A glance, look

Definitions

  1. A male goose; A fool, simpleton; A glance, look

Ancestry of “gander”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishgandregander
2Old Englishgandra—
3Old Englishganragander, male goose
4Proto-Germanic*ganʀō—
5Proto-Germanicganzôgander
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰh₂énsgoose

Words derived from “gander”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰh₂éns →Every word from Proto-Germanic ganzô →Every word from Proto-Germanic *ganʀō →