Etymology

gaw

G2A1W4

Today it means: To gape or stare. Full definition →

Middle English gowen ← Old Norse gá
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gaw · verb1

  1. Old Norse · derived fromgá
  2. Middle English · inherited fromgowen“to stare”
  3. English todaygaw

From Middle English gowen (“to stare”), from Old Norse gá.

gaw · interjection2

Minced oath for God.

Gaw · proper noun3

  1. Scottish Gaelic · derived fromgall“foreigner or stranger”
  2. English todayGaw

From Scottish Gaelic gall (“foreigner or stranger”), meaning: * (Ireland) a person from Wales or England who immigrated after the Norman invasion, or * (Scotland) a person from Scandinavia or the English-speaking lowlands.

Words from the same roots

Old Norsegá all →

garish

Scottish Gaelicgall all →

Galbraith

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.