Where does “gibstaff” come from?
gibstaff (English) comes from English GIB, from English give, from English foregive, from English fore-, from English Fore, from German Fahr, from German Fähre, from Middle High German verren — passed , crossed.
gibstaff (English): A staff to gauge water, or to push a boat; A...
Definitions
- A staff to gauge water, or to push a boat; A...
Ancestry of “gibstaff”, step by step
gibstaff traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English GIB
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | GIB | — |
| 2 | English | give | To move, shift, provide something abstract or... |
| 3 | English | foregive | To give ahead of time; give in advance |
| 4 | English | fore- | Positioned at or near the front; Before; ahead or... |
| 5 | English | Fore | A people of Papua New Guinea |
| 6 | German | Fahr | — |
| 7 | German | Fähre | ferry |
| 8 | Middle High German | verren | — |
| 9 | Old High German | ferrana | from afar |
| 10 | Old High German | ferro | afar; skipper |
| 11 | Proto-West Germanic | *ferrō | — |
| 12 | Proto-Germanic | ferrai | far, distant |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | per-nóy | — |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 15 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via English staff
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | staff | A long, straight, thick wooden rod or stick,... |
| 2 | Middle English | staf | A staff, rod or pole; a relatively long, narrow,... |
| 3 | Old English | stæf | staff; letter, written character |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | stab | staff; letter |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | stabaz | staff, stick |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | stebʰ- | to stand still; to harden |