Where does “gillán” come from?

gillán (Middle Irish) comes from Middle Irish gilla, from Old Norse gildr, from Proto-Germanic gildiz, from Proto-Indo-European gʰeldʰ- — to repay, reward; to pay; to pay for, repay.

gillán (Middle Irish): young servant; little hostage or pledge

Definitions

  1. young servant; little hostage or pledge

Ancestry of “gillán”, step by step

gillán traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle Irish gilla

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Irishgillayouth; male child, boy; messenger, page, servant
2Old Norsegildrstout, brawny, of full worth; brawny, stout; of...
3Proto-Germanicgildizvaluable, wholesome, precious
4Proto-Indo-Europeangʰeldʰ-to repay, reward; to pay; to pay for, repay

via Middle Irish gell

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Irishgell—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰeldʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic gildiz →Every word from Old Norse gildr →