gut (German)
Where does "gut" come from?
The German adverb 'gut' is inherited from Middle High German 'guot' and Old High German 'guot'[1]. Traveling further back through Proto-West Germanic '*gōd' and Proto-Germanic '*gōdaz', the term ultimately derives from Proto-Indo-European '*gʰedʰ-', meaning 'to unite, be associated, suit'[1].
Open questions
- The Proto-Germanic form is analyzed as a vrddhi gerundive of an otherwise unattested strong verb '*gadaną'. [4]
Full etymology tree
- gut (German), 'well (accurately, competently, satisfactorily)'
- inherited guot (Middle High German), 'good'
- inherited guot (Old High German), 'good'
- inherited *gōd (Proto-West Germanic), 'good'
- inherited *gōdaz (Proto-Germanic), 'good'
- derived *gʰedʰ- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to join'
- inherited *gōdaz (Proto-Germanic), 'good'
- inherited *gōd (Proto-West Germanic), 'good'
- inherited guot (Old High German), 'good'
- inherited guot (Middle High German), 'good'
Ancestors
- guot (Middle High German)
- guot (Old High German)
- *gōd (Proto-West Germanic)
- *gōdaz (Proto-Germanic)
- *gʰedʰ- (Proto-Indo-European)
Cognates and doublets
- god (Danish)
- goed (Dutch)
- good (English)
- gutt (Luxembourgish)
- goud (Saterland Frisian)
- god (Swedish)
- goed (West Frisian)
Sources
- gut (German) - Wiktionary
- guot (Middle High German) - Wiktionary
- guot (Old High German) - Wiktionary
- gōdaz (Proto-Germanic) - Wiktionary
- gōd (Proto-West Germanic) - Wiktionary
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris