Etymology Explorer › Middle Low German

Where does “gēst” come from?

gēst (Middle Low German) comes from Old Saxon gest, from Proto-West Germanic gaist, from Proto-Germanic gaistaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeysd- — anger, agitation.

Ancestry of “gēst”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old SaxongestA soul, spirit, breath
2Proto-West Germanicgaistghost, spirit
3Proto-Germanicgaistazterror, fear; spirit, ghost; mind
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰeysd-anger, agitation
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeysd- →