Where does “gossip” come from?
Gossip comes from Middle English godsib, from Old English godsibb (godparent), combining Old English sibb (relative, blood relation) from Proto-Germanic sibjō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots sebʰ- and gʰedʰ-.
gossip (English): Someone who likes to talk about other people's...
Definitions
- Someone who likes to talk about other people's...
Ancestry of “gossip”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | godsybbe | One's sponsor at baptism or confirmation, a godparent |
| 2 | Old English | godsibb | one who has become spiritually related to another... |
| 3 | Old English | gōd | a good thing, advantage, benefit, gift; good,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | gōd | good |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | gudą | invoked one; god, deity |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | gastiz | stranger, guest |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰóstis | stranger, host |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -tis | Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots |