Where does “gai” come from?

gai (Old French) comes from Old Occitan gai, from Proto-Germanic ganhuz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰengʰ- — to walk; to step.

gai (Old French): happy; cheerful; gay

Definitions

  1. happy; cheerful; gay

Ancestry of “gai”, step by step

gai traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old Occitan gai

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Occitangaihappy; joyous
2Proto-Germanicganhuzfast, quick
3Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰengʰ-to walk; to step

via Late Latin gaius

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Late Latingaiusjay; jaybird
2LatinGaiusproper noun
3LatinGaviusa Roman nomen gentile, gens or "family name" famously held by

Words derived from “gai”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰengʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic ganhuz →Every word from Old Occitan gai →