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
- A punk-derived subculture of people who...
Ancestry of “goth”, step by step
goth traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English Gothes
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | Gothes | — |
| 2 | Latin | Gothi | Goths |
| 3 | Icelandic | goði | godi, an alternate title for a jarl, invoker or... |
| 4 | Old Norse | goði | godi, invoker or invokee, chief of a þing or keeper of a sanctuary |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | gudô | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | gudjô | priest |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | gudą | invoked one; god, deity |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | gastiz | stranger, guest |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰóstis | stranger, host |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -tis | Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots |