Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “gilty” come from?

gilty (Middle English) comes from Old English gyltiġ, from Old English gylt, from Lithuanian gulti, from Proto-Kartvelian gwel- — snake.

Ancestry of “gilty”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishgyltiġoffending, guilty
2Old Englishgyltguilt
3Lithuaniangultilie, lie down; fall ill, sick; wilt, droop
4Proto-Kartveliangwel-snake

Words derived from “gilty”

  • guilty
  • guiltily
  • guiltiness
  • bloodguiltiness
  • unguilty
  • bloodguilty
  • nonguilty
  • beguilty
  • inguilty
  • unguiltiness
  • guiltylike
Every word from Proto-Kartvelian gwel- →