Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “gut” come from?

Gut comes from Old English gutt, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰew-, a root of uncertain ultimate meaning that also produced related terms for bodily passages.

gut (English): The alimentary canal, especially the intestine;...

Definitions

  1. The alimentary canal, especially the intestine;...

Ancestry of “gut”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishgutAlternative form of gutte
2Old Englishguttgut, entrail
3Proto-Germanicgut-—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰewd-to pour
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰew-to pour

Words derived from “gut”

  • guts
  • midgut
  • gutsy
  • foregut
  • hindgut
  • gutless
  • rotgut
  • gutbucket
  • gutful
  • gutsiness
  • gutlessness
  • tailgut
  • guttle
  • gutlessly
  • greedyguts
  • gutsily
  • degut
  • gutlike
  • guttler
  • ungut
  • gutfeel
  • miseryguts
  • gutbuster
  • gutstring
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰew- →