gander

gander · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*ǵʰh₂éns“goose”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*ganzô“gander”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*ganʀō
4. Old English · inherited fromgandra
5. Middle English · inherited fromgandre
6. English todaygander

From Middle English gandre, from Old English gandra, ganra (“gander”), from Proto-West Germanic *ganʀō, from Proto-Germanic *ganzô (“gander”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰh₂éns (“goose”). The meaning "a look" is derived from the image of craning one's neck like a goose. The meaning 'a man apart from his wife' is derived from a concept of a grass widower, and of calling a husband a goose. Cognates Cognate with Dutch gander (“gander”), Low German Gander, Ganner (“gander”), dialectal German Gandert (“gander”), German Ganter (“gander”), Norwegian gasse (“gander”), Icelandic gassi (“gander”). Compare also Lithuanian gañdras (“stork”). Related to goose, gannet.

Gander · proper noun²

1. French · derived fromganter“to glove”
2. English todayGander

* As an English surname, from the noun gander. * Also as an English surname, spelling variant of Ganter, itself related to French ganter (“to glove”). * As a north German surname, from Gandern in Brandenburg. * Also as a north German surname, from Ganter (“male goose”). * As a south German and Alemannic German surname, from Gand (“scree”). The town in Newfoundland is named after Gander Bay or Gander Lake, the names of which derive from the noun gander.

Words from the same roots