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Goose

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means a large waterbird with a long neck

Where does the word "goose" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic gans, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

gans→gōs→goose

Proto-Germanic · ancient

cognate with Latin 'anser'; the 'n' survives in 'gander' and German 'Gans'

Old English · 700s-1000s

the plural 'gēs' gave 'geese'

English · 1500s

'goose flesh' for bumps on the skin dates from the 1800s

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Goose’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: gans meant “goose.” Cognate with Latin 'anser'; the 'n' survives in 'gander' and German 'Gans'. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as gōs. The plural 'gēs' gave 'geese'. It reached English by 1500s as goose. 'goose flesh' for bumps on the skin dates from the 1800s. Today, goose means a large waterbird with a long neck.