Etymology Explorer › Middle Dutch

Where does “gaffel” come from?

gaffel (Middle Dutch) comes from Proto-West Germanic gabulu, from Gaulish gabalos, from Proto-Celtic gabalos, from Proto-Indo-European gʰabʰlos — fork, branch of tree.

Ancestry of “gaffel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicgabulufork; pitchfork
2Gaulishgabalos—
3Proto-Celticgabalosfork, forked branch
4Proto-Indo-Europeangʰabʰlosfork, branch of tree

Words derived from “gaffel”

  • gaffle
  • gaffolle
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰabʰlos →