Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “goose-step” come from?

goose-step (English) comes from English step, from English stepchild, from Middle English stepchild, from Old English stēopċild, from Old English ċild, from Proto-Germanic kelþaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵelt-, from Proto-Indo-European ǵel- — to swallow; swallow.

goose-step (English): A style of marching in which the feet are lifted...

Definitions

  1. A style of marching in which the feet are lifted...

Ancestry of “goose-step”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishstepAn advance or movement made from one foot to the...
2EnglishstepchildThe child of one's spouse but not one's own; A...
3Middle Englishstepchild—
4Old Englishstēopċildstepchild
5Old Englishċildchild, youth; fetus; female baby; child
6Proto-Germanickelþazfetus; newborn; infant; child
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵelt-womb
8Proto-Indo-Europeanǵel-to swallow; swallow

Words derived from “goose-step”

  • goosestep
  • goose-stepper
  • goosestepper
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵel- →