gill

gill · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*gʰel-
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*gelunō“jaw”
3. Middle English · inherited fromgille
4. English todaygill

From Middle English gille, gylle (“gill”), of North Germanic origin, akin to Danish gælle, Swedish gäl, Norwegian gjelle, and further to Old Norse gjǫlnar (“lips”), which also may have had the meaning of "gills" (based on Old Danish fiskegæln (“gills”)). The Old Norse word has been suggested as deriving from Proto-Germanic *gelunō (“jaw”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰel-, which would make it root-cognate to Ancient Greek χελύνη (khelúnē, “lip, jaw”), χεῖλος (kheîlos, “lip”). Displaced native Old English ċīe.

gill · noun²

1. Medieval Latin · derived fromgillo“earthenware jar”
2. Old French · derived fromgille“a wine measure”
3. Middle English · inherited fromgille
4. English todaygill

From Middle English gille, from Old French gille (“a wine measure”), from Medieval Latin gillo (“earthenware jar”).

gill · noun³

1. Old Norse · derived fromgil
2. Middle English · inherited fromgille
3. English todaygill

From Middle English gille, from Old Norse gil.

gill · noun⁴

Uncertain.

gill · noun, verb⁵

Clipping of gillian, from the female name Gillian.

Gill · proper noun, noun⁶

1. Hebrew · derived fromגיל“joy”
2. Old Norse · derived fromgil
3. Middle English · derived fromgil“ravine, glen”
4. English todayGill

* As an English surname, converged from variants of Giles (sometimes through Dutch), Julian, and William. * As a northern English surname, from Middle English gil (“ravine, glen”), from Old Norse gil. The Old Norse is also a source of the Norwegian surname. * As an Irish and Scottish Gaelic surname, variant of McGill. * Also as an Irish surname, variant of Gall. * As a Jewish/Israeli given name, as well as surname, from Hebrew גיל (“joy”). * As a German surname, variant of Gilger. * As a Sikh Punjabi surname originating in India, from ਗਿੱਲ (gill, “moisture”).

Words from the same roots