Where does “gal” come from?

gal (Middle English) comes from Old English gāl, from Basque gailu, from Proto-Germanic gailō, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰēy- — to yawn, gape; to go.

gal (Middle English): lascivious, lustful; overly fond of

Definitions

  1. lascivious, lustful; overly fond of

Ancestry of “gal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishgālobstacle, barrier, marker; wanton; wicked; bad;...
2Basquegailudevice
3Proto-Germanicgailōa gap; crevice; chasm; ravine
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰēy-to yawn, gape; to go
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰēy- →Every word from Proto-Germanic gailō →Every word from Basque gailu →