Where does “gain-” come from?

gain- (Middle English) comes from Old English geġn-, from Proto-Germanic gagin — towards, in the direction of; against.

Ancestry of “gain-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishgeġn-opposition, reversal, against; counter
2Proto-Germanicgagintowards, in the direction of; against

Words derived from “gain-”

Every word from Proto-Germanic gagin →Every word from Old English geġn- →
gain- — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer