gavel

gavel · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*gebaną“to give”
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*gabul
3. Old English · inherited fromgafol
4. Middle English · inherited fromgavel
5. English todaygavel

From Middle English gavel, from Old English gafol, from Proto-West Germanic *gabul, from Proto-Germanic *gebaną (“to give”), equivalent to give + -el.

gavel · noun, verb²

1. Old Norse · derived fromkefli“a piece of wood, stick, cylinder, mangle”
2. Middle English · inherited fromkevel“a mason's hammer”
3. English todaygavel

Origin obscure. Possibly an alteration of dialectal cavel, a variant of kevel (“a stone mason's axe with a flat face, a cleat or bollard”), from Middle English kevel (“a mason's hammer”), from Old Norse kefli (“a piece of wood, stick, cylinder, mangle”). Cognate with Norwegian kjevle (“rolling pin”).

gavel · noun³

1. Latin · derived fromcapulus“handle”
2. Old French · derived fromgavelle
3. English todaygavel

From Old French gavelle (cf. Modern French javelle) probably diminutive from Latin capulus (“handle”), from capere (“to lay hold of, seize”); or compare Welsh gafael (“hold, grasp”). Compare heave.

Words from the same roots