Where does “gau” come from?
gau (German) comes from Middle High German göu, from Old High German gawi, from Proto-Germanic *gawi, from Proto-Germanic gawją, from Proto-Germanic gaawja, from Proto-Germanic ga-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱóm, from Proto-Indo-European ḱe — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...
Ancestry of “gau”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | göu | shire, district |
| 2 | Old High German | gawi | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *gawi | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | gawją | district, shire, region, area |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | gaawja | riverlands, lakeside land |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | ga- | Indicates association or togetherness; co-;... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóm | beside, near, by, with |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱe | Deictic particle, here; Post-positional... |
| 9 | Middle English | kyt | — |
| 10 | German | kitt | — |
| 11 | Old High German | kuti | — |
| 12 | Proto-West Germanic | kwidu | gum, resin |
| 13 | Proto-Germanic | kweduz | resin |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷet- | resin, gum; to say, speak |
| 15 | Proto-Indo-European | gū- | to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,... |