Where does “gostly” come from?

gostly (Middle English) comes from Old English gāstlīċ, from Old English gāst, from Proto-West Germanic gaist, from Proto-Germanic gaistaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeysd- — anger, agitation.

gostly (Middle English): Belonging to or consisting of spirit, not matter;...

Definitions

  1. Belonging to or consisting of spirit, not matter;...

Ancestry of “gostly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishgāstlīċspiritual
2Old Englishgāstbreath, soul, spirit, ghost, being
3Proto-West Germanicgaistghost, spirit
4Proto-Germanicgaistazterror, fear; spirit, ghost; mind
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰeysd-anger, agitation

Words derived from “gostly”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeysd- →Every word from Proto-Germanic gaistaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic gaist →