Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “goner” come from?

Goner derives from English gone, the past participle of English go, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to move or proceed.

goner (English): Someone doomed; a hopeless case

Definitions

  1. Someone doomed; a hopeless case

Ancestry of “goner”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishgonepast participle of go; Alternative spelling of...
2Middle Englishgonto go; past participle of gon; Alternative form...
3Old Englishgānto go
4Proto-West Germanicgānto go
5Proto-Germanicgānąto go, walk
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰengʰ-to walk; to step
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰengʰ- →