Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “gan” come from?

gan (Middle English) comes from Old English gān, from Proto-West Germanic gān, from Proto-Germanic gāną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰengʰ- — to walk; to step.

gan (Middle English): Alternative form of gain; Alternative form of gon

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of gain; Alternative form of gon

Ancestry of “gan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishgānto go
2Proto-West Germanicgānto go
3Proto-Germanicgānąto go, walk
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰengʰ-to walk; to step

Words derived from “gan”

  • gone
  • bygone
  • goner
  • goneness
  • goneski
  • downgone
  • gan
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰengʰ- →