Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “gueux” come from?

gueux (French) comes from Middle French gueux, from Middle Dutch guyte, from Middle Dutch gu(i)ten, from Old Norse gauta — to talk a lot.

gueux (French): beggar; poor

Definitions

  1. beggar; poor

Ancestry of “gueux”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchgueuxbeggar
2Middle Dutchguyterascal, good-for-nothing, freeloader
3Middle Dutchgu(i)tento make fun of
4Old Norsegautato talk a lot

Words derived from “gueux”

  • gueusard
  • gueuserie
Every word from Old Norse gauta →