Where does “gosling” come from?
gosling (English) comes from Middle English gosling, from Middle English gesling, from Old Norse gæsling, from Old Norse -lingr, from Proto-Germanic -ilingaz, from Proto-Germanic -ilaz, from Proto-Indo-European -lós — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.
gosling (English): A young goose; A callow ), or foolish and naive,...
Definitions
- A young goose; A callow ), or foolish and naive,...
Ancestry of “gosling”, step by step
gosling traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English gosling
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | gosling | Alternative form of goselyng |
| 2 | Middle English | gesling | Alternative form of goselyng; gosling |
| 3 | Old Norse | gæsling | — |
| 4 | Old Norse | -lingr | Forms noun-derivatives with sense of 'belonging... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -ilingaz | Forms noun-derivatives with sense of 'belonging... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -ilaz | agent suffix; diminutive suffix |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |
via Middle English goslyng
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | goslyng | gosling |