Where does “gateman” come from?
gateman (English) comes 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.
gateman (English): A gatekeeper; a person who guards a gate
Definitions
- A gatekeeper; a person who guards a gate
Ancestry of “gateman”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | gate | A doorlike structure outside a house; Doorway,... |
| 2 | Middle English | gate | An entryway or entrance to a settlement or... |
| 3 | Old English | ġeat | gate; a gate, door |
| 4 | Old French | gaut | forest, woods, woodland |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | walþu | forest |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | walþuz | forest |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wel- | to see |