Where does “guile” come from?
Guile derives from Middle English gile, from Anglo-Norman gile, from Old French guile, from Frankish wigila, of uncertain ultimate origin.
guile (English): Astuteness often marked by a certain sense of...
Definitions
- Astuteness often marked by a certain sense of...
Ancestry of “guile”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | gile | gill |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | gile | — |
| 3 | Old French | guile | trickery; deception |
| 4 | Old English | wīl | wile, trick |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wīlą | craft, deceit |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wéy- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | éǵh₂ | I |
Words derived from “guile”