gig

gig · noun, verb¹

1. Old French · derived fromgigue“a fiddle”
2. English todaygig

The etymology of the noun is unknown, but compare Old French gigue (“a fiddle”). The verb is derived from the noun.

gig · noun²

Sense 1 is a clipping of gigabyte, while sense 2 is a clipping of giga- (prefix multiplying the unit to which it is attached by one billion).

gig · noun, verb³

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*gʰeyǵʰ-
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*gīganą“to move, wish, desire”
3. Old Norse · derived from[Term?]
4. Middle English · inherited fromgigg
5. English todaygig

The noun is derived from Middle English gigg, gigge, gygge (“spinning object; a top”); further origin uncertain, possibly: * from Old Norse [Term?] (compare Danish gig (“a top”), dialectal Norwegian giga (“to shake about”)), from Proto-Germanic *gīganą (“to move, wish, desire”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰeyǵʰ-, *gʰeygʰ- (“to yawn, gape, long for, desire”); or * ultimately onomatopoeic. Senses 2–4 are thought to derive from sense 1 (“whipping-top”), but their exact relationship is unclear. The verb is derived from the noun.

gig · noun⁴

1. Middle English · inherited fromgigg
2. Old Norse · derived fromgikkr“pert person”
3. Old French · derived fromgigue“tall, skinny girl”
4. Middle English · inherited fromgig
5. English todaygig

From Middle English gig, gigge, gegge, possibly either: * from Old French gigue (“tall, skinny girl”) (modern French gigue), from Old Norse gikkr (“pert person”) (related to Danish gjæk (“fool, jester”), Swedish gäck (“fool, jester; a wag”); see also geck); or * from Middle English gigg, gigge, gygge (“spinning object; a top”) (see etymology 3).

gig · noun, verb⁵

1. Spanish · derived fromfisga“harpoon”
2. English todaygig

The noun is derived from a clipping of fishgig, fizgig, possibly from Spanish fisga (“harpoon”). The verb is derived from the noun.

Words from the same roots