Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “God” come from?

God (Middle English) comes from Middle English god, from Old English gōd, from Proto-West Germanic gōd, from Proto-Germanic gudą, from Proto-Germanic gastiz, from Proto-Indo-European gʰóstis, from Proto-Indo-European -tis — Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots.

God (Middle English): Alternative form of god; God

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of god; God

Ancestry of “God”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishgodA god or deity; a divine individual; A person...
2Old Englishgōda good thing, advantage, benefit, gift; good,...
3Proto-West Germanicgōdgood
4Proto-Germanicgudąinvoked one; god, deity
5Proto-Germanicgastizstranger, guest
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʰóstisstranger, host
7Proto-Indo-European-tisDerives abstract/action nouns from verb roots

Words derived from “God”

  • God
  • gods
  • god
  • godly
  • godliness
  • goddamn
  • godlike
  • gosh
  • gad
  • golly
  • demigod
  • goddam
  • gadfly
  • godforsaken
  • Godward
  • goddammit
  • godparent
  • godship
  • gadabout
  • zounds
  • godling
  • godpapa
  • godlikeness
  • Goddy
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tis →