Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “goth” come from?

Goth comes from Middle English Gothes, referring to the ancient Germanic people, though the ultimate origin and original meaning remain uncertain.

goth (English): A punk-derived subculture of people who...

Definitions

  1. A punk-derived subculture of people who...

Ancestry of “goth”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishGothes—
2LatinGothiGoths
3Icelandicgoðigodi, an alternate title for a jarl, invoker or...
4Old Norsegoði—
5Proto-Germanicgudô—
6Proto-Germanicgudjôpriest
7Proto-Germanicgudąinvoked one; god, deity
8Proto-Germanicgastizstranger, guest
9Proto-Indo-Europeangʰóstisstranger, host
10Proto-Indo-European-tisDerives abstract/action nouns from verb roots

Words derived from “goth”

  • gothy
  • gothness
  • goth-like
  • gothdom
  • mallgoth
  • netgoth
  • cybergoth
  • neogoth
  • gothiness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tis →