Where does “gaffen” come from?
gaffen (German) comes from Middle High German gaffen, from Old High German gaffōn, from Proto-Germanic gapōną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeh₁y-, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰih₁-.
gaffen (German): to stare at curiously, rubberneck
Definitions
- to stare at curiously, rubberneck
Ancestry of “gaffen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | gaffen | to gape; to stare |
| 2 | Old High German | gaffōn | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | gapōną | to gaze, observe |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰeh₁y- | to yawn, gape; to gape, be wide open; to gape,... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰih₁- | — |
Words derived from “gaffen”