gargoyle (English)

Where does "gargoyle" come from?

The English noun 'gargoyle' derives from the Old French 'gargouille'[1]. The French term has roots connected to Latin and also relates to native Old English 'swillan', meaning 'to gargle'[1]. This traces back through Proto-West Germanic '*swilljan' and Proto-Germanic '*swiljaną', meaning 'to gulp, swallow', originating from Proto-Indo-European '*swel-', meaning 'to drink, gulp, swallow'[1]. The Académie Française suggests the first attestation as 'gargoule' in 1294[1].

Open questions

• The exact early attestation date is suggested by the Académie Française as 1294 for the form gargoule. [1]

Full etymology tree

• gargoyle (English), 'A carved grotesque figure on a spout which conveys water away from the gutters.'
  • borrowed gargouille (Old French)
    • derived gargoule (Old French)
      • derived (Latin)

Cognates and doublets

• gargle (English)

Descendants and derived words

• gargoyled (English)
• gargoyle gecko (English)
• gargoyleish (English)
• gargoylelike (English)
• gargoylesque (English)
• gargoyley (English)
• gargoylish (English)
• gargoylism (English)

Sources

1. gargoyle (English) - Wiktionary

Updated October 2026

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