Gawain

G2A1W4A1I1N1
/ɡəˈweɪn//ˈɡɑːweɪn/

proper noun

One of the greatest knights in Arthurian legend; he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table.

OriginMiddle English Gawayne ← Old French Gauvain ← Old Welsh [Term?] →
UncommonScrabble 10
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Meanings

proper noun

alternative Gawaine

  1. One of the greatest knights in Arthurian legend; he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table.

Origin

  1. Proto-Celtic*wolkos
  2. Proto-Brythonic*gwalx“hawk”
  3. Celtic
  4. Old Welsh[Term?]
  5. Old FrenchGauvain
  6. Middle EnglishGawayne
  7. EnglishGawain

From Middle English Gawayne, from Old French Gauvain, from Old Welsh [Term?], probably of Celtic origin, like many other characters from Arthurian legends, perhaps from Proto-Brythonic *gwalx (“hawk”) (from Proto-Celtic *wolkos) + *gwɨnn (“white”). Doublet of Gavin. More at Gawain.

More words from Middle English, Old French, Old Welsh

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 高文
  • 高文the knight
Esperanto Gavejn
  • Gavejnthe knight
French Gauvain
  • Gauvainthe knight
Greek Γκάγουεν
  • Γκάγουεν (Gkágouen)the knight
Japanese ガウェイン
  • ガウェイン (Gauein)the knight
Latin Galvaginus
  • Galvaginusthe knight
Russian Гаве́йн
  • Гаве́йн (Gavéjn)the knight
Welsh Gwalchmai
  • Gwalchmaithe knight

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

gaiwan
Cite this entry
APA

Gawain. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gawain

MLA

“Gawain.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gawain. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Gawain,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gawain.

Source: Gawain on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.