Etymology

umgang

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Today it means: A round about; a way around; detour. Full definition →

Middle English umgang ← Old English ymbgang ← Proto-West Germanic *umbigang
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The story

  1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*umbigangaz
  2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*umbigang
  3. Old English · inherited fromymbgang
  4. Middle English · inherited fromumgang
  5. English todayumgang

From Middle English umgang, umbegang (“circumference, circuit”), from Old English ymbgang, ymbegang (“going about, going round, circuit, circumference, surrounding belt, a winding course, bend, a going about a business”), from Proto-West Germanic *umbigang, from Proto-Germanic *umbigangaz, equivalent to um- + gang. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Uumgong, West Frisian omgong, Dutch omgang (“dealing, handling”), German Umgang (“dealings, handling”), Danish omgang (“game”). More at um-, gang.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.