Where does “guy” come from?
guy (Middle French) comes from Old French Gui, from Old High German Wido, from Proto-Germanic widuz, from Proto-Indo-European widʰu- — forest, wood; tree, beam.
Ancestry of “guy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | Gui | — |
| 2 | Old High German | Wido | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | widuz | wood |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | widʰu- | forest, wood; tree, beam |