Where does “gapen” come from?

gapen (Middle English) comes from Old Norse gapa, from Proto-Germanic gapōną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeh₁y-, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰih₁-.

Ancestry of “gapen”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Old Norse	gapa	to gape, open the mouth wide
2	Proto-Germanic	gapōną	to gaze, observe
3	Proto-Indo-European	ǵʰeh₁y-	to yawn, gape; to gape, be wide open; to gape,...
4	Proto-Indo-European	ǵʰih₁-	—

gapen — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer