Where does “gaffel” come from?
gaffel (Middle Low German) comes from Old Saxon gafala, from Proto-West Germanic gabulu, from Gaulish gabalos, from Proto-Celtic gabalos, from Proto-Indo-European gʰabʰlos — fork, branch of tree.
Ancestry of “gaffel”, step by step
gaffel traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old Saxon gafala
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Saxon | gafala | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | gabulu | fork; pitchfork |
| 3 | Gaulish | gabalos | — |
| 4 | Proto-Celtic | gabalos | fork, forked branch |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰabʰlos | fork, branch of tree |
via Old Saxon gavala
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Saxon | gavala | — |