Where does “gowk” come from?

gowk (English) comes from Middle English gowke, from Old Norse gaukr, from Proto-Germanic gaukaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʰAuǵ-.

gowk (English): A cuckoo; A fool; To make foolish; to stupefy

Definitions

  1. A cuckoo; A fool; To make foolish; to stupefy

Ancestry of “gowk”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishgowkeAlternative form of goke
2Old Norsegaukrcuckoo
3Proto-Germanicgaukazcuckoo
4Proto-Indo-EuropeangʰAuǵ-—

Words derived from “gowk”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰAuǵ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic gaukaz →Every word from Old Norse gaukr →