Where does “gewgaw” come from?

gewgaw (English) comes from English gugaw, from Middle English givegove, from Middle English give, from Old English ġiefu, from Proto-West Germanic gebu, from Proto-Germanic gebō — gift; name of the G-rune.

gewgaw (English): A showy trifle, a toy; a showy trinket, ornament...

Definitions

  1. A showy trifle, a toy; a showy trinket, ornament...

Ancestry of “gewgaw”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishgugaw—
2Middle Englishgivegovegewgaw, trifle
3Middle Englishgivesuggest, given
4Old Englishġiefugift
5Proto-West Germanicgebugift
6Proto-Germanicgebōgift; name of the G-rune

Words derived from “gewgaw”

Every word from Proto-Germanic gebō →Every word from Proto-West Germanic gebu →Every word from Old English ġiefu →
gewgaw — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer