gain

gain · verb, noun¹

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*waiþiz
2. Frankish · derived from*waiþanōn“to pasture, graze, hunt for food”
3. Old French · derived fromgaaing
4. Middle French · derived fromgain“gain, profit, advancement, cultivation”
5. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*ḱóm“next to, at, with, along”
6. Proto-Germanic · derived from*ga-“with, together”
7. Proto-Germanic · derived from*gagana“back, against, in return”
8. Proto-Germanic · derived from*gagną
9. Old Norse · derived fromgagn“benefit, advantage, use”
10. Middle English · inherited fromgayn
11. English todaygain

From Middle English gayn, gain, gein (“profit, advantage”), from Old Norse gagn (“benefit, advantage, use”), from Proto-Germanic *gagną, *gaganą (“gain, profit", literally "return”), from Proto-Germanic *gagana (“back, against, in return”), a reduplication of Proto-Germanic *ga- (“with, together”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“next to, at, with, along”). Cognate with Icelandic gagn (“gain, advantage, use”), Swedish gagn (“benefit, profit”), Danish gavn (“gain, profit, success”), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌴𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽 (gageigan, “to gain, profit”), Old Norse gegn (“ready”), dialectal Swedish gen (“useful, noteful”), Latin cum (“with”); see gain-, again, against. Compare also Middle English gaynen, geinen (“to be of use, profit, avail”), Icelandic and Swedish gagna (“to avail, help”), Danish gavne (“to benefit”). The Middle English word was reinforced by Middle French gain (“gain, profit, advancement, cultivation”), from Old French gaaing, gaaigne, gaigne, a noun derivative of gaaignier, gaigner (“to till, earn, win”), from Frankish *waiþanōn (“to pasture, graze, hunt for food”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *waiþiz, *waiþō, *waiþijō (“pasture, field, hunting ground”); compare Old High German weidōn, weidanōn (“to hunt, forage for food”) (Modern German Weide (“pasture”)), Old Norse veiða (“to catch, hunt”), Old English wǣþan (“to hunt, chase, pursue”). Related to wide.

gain · preposition²

1. Old English · derived fromgēan
2. Middle English · derived fromgain
3. English todaygain

From dialectal English gen, gin, short for again, agen (“against”); also Middle English gain, gayn, gein, ȝæn (“against”), from Old English gēan, geġn (“against”). More at against.

gain · adjective, adverb³

1. Middle English · inherited fromgayn
2. Old Norse · derived fromgegn“straight, direct, short, ready, serviceable, kindly”
3. Middle English · inherited fromgayn
4. English todaygain

From Middle English gayn, gein, geyn (“straight, direct, short, fit, good”), from Old Norse gegn (“straight, direct, short, ready, serviceable, kindly”), from gegn (“opposite, against”, adverb) (whence gagna (“to go against, meet, suit, be meet”)); see above. Adverb from Middle English gayn, gayne (“fitly, quickly”), from the adjective.

gain · noun⁴

Compare Welsh gan (“a mortise”).

Gain · proper noun⁵

1. Latin · derived fromingenium
2. Old French · derived fromengaigne“ingenuity”
3. English todayGain

* As an English and Scottish surname of Norman origin, from the name Engaine, based on Old French engaigne (“ingenuity”), from Latin ingenium. Sometimes confused with Ingham. * As a French surname, from the verb gagner (“to obtain, gain”).

Words from the same roots