Etymology Explorer › Old Irish

Where does “gell” come from?

gell (Old Irish) comes from Proto-Celtic geldom, from Proto-Indo-European gʰeldʰ- — to repay, reward; to pay; to pay for, repay.

gell (Old Irish): a pledge, a surety; a hostage; a stake, a wager

Definitions

  1. a pledge, a surety; a hostage; a stake, a wager

Ancestry of “gell”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Celticgeldompledge
2Proto-Indo-Europeangʰeldʰ-to repay, reward; to pay; to pay for, repay

Words derived from “gell”

  • geall
  • geall
  • gellach
  • gellaid
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰeldʰ- →