Where does “gum” come from?
Gum derives from Middle English gome, from Old English guma, from Proto-Germanic gōmô, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰh₂u-mo-, ultimately related to Proto-Indo-European ḱóm.
gum (English): The flesh around the teeth; To chew, especially...
Definitions
- The flesh around the teeth; To chew, especially...
Ancestry of “gum”, step by step
gum traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English gomme
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | gomme | Alternative form of gome; Alternative form of... |
| 2 | Old English | guma | man, hero |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | gumô | man |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰǵʰm̥mō | earthling, human |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰéǵʰōm | earth |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -ōm | emphatic suffix or postpositive particle |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -mi | — |
via Old Saxon gumo
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Saxon | gumo | man |