gin

gin · noun¹

1. Latin · derived fromiūniperus“juniper”
2. Vulgar Latin · derived fromziniperus
3. Old French · derived fromgenevre
4. Dutch · derived fromgenever“juniper”
5. English todaygin

Abbreviation of geneva, alteration of Dutch genever (“juniper”) from Old French genevre (modern French genièvre), from Vulgar Latin ziniperus, from Latin iūniperus (“juniper”). Hence gin rummy (first attested 1941).

gin · noun, verb²

1. Old English · derived fromgrin
2. Middle English · derived fromgrin
3. Old French · derived fromengin“engine”
4. Old French · derived fromgin
5. Middle English · inherited fromgin
6. English todaygin

Partly from Middle English gin, ginne (“cleverness, scheme, talent, device, machine”), from Old French gin, an aphetism of Old French engin (“engine”); and partly from Middle English grin, grine (“snare, trick, stratagem, deceit, temptation, noose, halter, instrument”), from Old English grin, gryn, giren (“snare, gin, noose”).

gin · verb³

1. Middle English · inherited fromginnen“to begin”
2. English todaygin

Inherited from Middle English ginnen (“to begin”), contraction of beginnen.

gin · noun⁴

1. Dharug · borrowed fromdyin“woman”
2. English todaygin

Borrowed from Dharug dyin (“woman”), but having acquired a derogatory tone.

gin · conjunction⁵

Cognate to Scots gin (“if”): perhaps from gi(v)en, or a compound in which the first element is from Old English ġif (English if) and the second is cognate to English an (“if”) (compare iffen), or perhaps from again.

Gin · noun⁶

A Hanyu Pinyin-esque romanization of Vietnamese Kinh (京).

Words from the same roots