Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “gatekeep” come from?

gatekeep (English) comes from English gatekeeper, from English gate, from Middle English gate, from Old English ġeat, from Old French gaut, from Proto-West Germanic walþu, from Proto-Germanic walþuz, from Proto-Indo-European wel- — to see.

gatekeep (English): To control or limit access to something; To limit...

Definitions

  1. To control or limit access to something; To limit...

Ancestry of “gatekeep”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgatekeeperA person or group who controls access to...
2EnglishgateA doorlike structure outside a house; Doorway,...
3Middle EnglishgateAn entryway or entrance to a settlement or...
4Old Englishġeatgate; a gate, door
5Old Frenchgaut—
6Proto-West Germanicwalþuforest
7Proto-Germanicwalþuzforest
8Proto-Indo-Europeanwel-to see
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wel- →