gauge

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*ǵʰalgʰ-
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*galgô“pole, stake, cross”
3. Frankish · derived from*galgā“measuring rod, pole”
4. Middle English · derived fromgauge
5. English todaygauge

From Middle English gauge, gaugen, from Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French gauger (compare Modern French jauger from Old French jaugier), from gauge (“gauging rod”), from Frankish *galgā (“measuring rod, pole”), from Proto-Germanic *galgô (“pole, stake, cross”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰalgʰ-, *ǵʰalg- (“perch, long switch”). Cognate with Old High German galgo, Old Frisian galga, Old English ġealga (“cross-beam, gallows”), Old Norse galgi (“cross-beam, gallows”), Old Norse gelgja (“pole, perch”). Doublet of gallows.

Words from the same roots