go

go · verb, noun, adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰeh₁-
2. Proto-Germanic*gāną
3. Proto-West Germanic*gān
4. Old Englishgān
5. Middle Englishgon
6. English todaygo

From Middle English gon, goon, from Old English gān (“to go”), from Proto-West Germanic *gān, from Proto-Germanic *gāną (“to go”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeh₁- (“to leave”). The inherited past tense form yode (compare Old English ēode) was replaced through suppletion in the 15th century by went, from Old English wendan (“to go, depart, wend”). cognates and related terms Cognate with Scots gae, gan, gang, ging, gyang (“to go”), Yola go, goe, goeth, gow (“to go”), West Frisian gean (“to go”), Alemannic German gaa, go (“to go, walk, step”), Bavarian geh (“to go”), Cimbrian ghéenan, gian (“to go”), Dutch gaan (“to go”), Dutch Low Saxon gan, gaon (“to go”), German gehen (“to go”), German Low German gahn (“to go”), Limburgish gaon, goëne (“to go”), Luxembourgish goen (“to go”), Vilamovian gejn, gyjn (“to go”), Yiddish גיין (geyn, “to go, walk”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish gå (“to go, walk”), Crimean Gothic geen (“to go”), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌽 (gaggan, “to go”). Compare also Albanian ngah (“to run, drive, go”), Ancient Greek κιχάνω (kikhánō, “to meet with, arrive at”), Avestan 𐬰𐬀𐬰𐬁𐬨𐬌 (zazāmi), Sanskrit जहाति (jáhāti, “to shun, avoid, lay aside”).

go · noun²

1. Japanese囲碁
2. Japanese碁
3. English todaygo

From Japanese 碁(ご) (go), shorter variant of Japanese 囲碁(いご) (igo), from Chinese 圍棋 /围棋 (wéiqí, literally “encirclement board game”).

Go · proper noun³

1. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰeh₁-
2. Proto-Germanic*gāną
3. Proto-West Germanic*gān
4. Old Englishgān
5. Middle Englishgon
6. Englishgo
7. EnglishGoogleinflu.
8. English todayGo

From go, likely with reference to the first two letters of Google.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• 11th–19th c. To walk; to travel on one's feet.