Where does “gunwale” come from?
Gunwale comes from Middle English gonnewalle, blending Middle English wale with an uncertain first element, tracing back through Old English hwæl and Proto-Germanic walhaz to Proto-Indo-European roots.
gunwale (English): The top edge of the hull of a nautical vessel,...
Definitions
- The top edge of the hull of a nautical vessel,...
Ancestry of “gunwale”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | gonnewalle | — |
| 2 | Middle English | wale | An outsider; a guest; one from an unfamiliar... |
| 3 | Old English | wealh | foreigner; Briton or Welshman; slave |
| 4 | Old English | īeġ | island |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | auwju | floodplain; meadow; island |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | awjō | floodplain; meadow; island |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | agwjō | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ékʷeh₂ | water |