god (English)

Where does "god" come from?

The word 'god' traces back to the Proto-Germanic term *gudą, which is the ancestor of many Germanic words for deity, including the Old English 'god'. Originally neuter in gender, the word transitioned to masculine in Old English to reflect the influence of Christianity. While its deepest roots are debated among linguists, it is entirely distinct from the word 'good' and shares no etymological connection with it.

Full etymology tree

god (English), 'Alternative letter-case form of God.'
- inherited god (Middle English), 'A god or deity; a divine individual.'
  - inherited god (Old English), 'good'
    - inherited *god (god) (Proto-West Germanic), 'god, deity'
      - inherited *gudą (gudą) (Proto-Germanic), 'god, deity'
        derived *ǵʰutóm (ǵʰutóm) (Proto-Indo-European)
        derived *ǵʰewH- (ǵʰewH-) (Proto-Indo-European), 'to call on, invoke'
        derived *ǵʰew- (ǵʰew-) (Proto-Indo-European), 'to pour'
        derived *gʷʰutóm (gʷʰutóm) (Proto-Indo-European)
        derived *gʷʰew- (gʷʰew-) (Proto-Indo-European), 'to honour, venerate, revere, worship'

Direct ancestors

Updated July 2026

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris