Wordwyrt

gallows

/ˈɡæləʊz/GA-lohz
/ˈɡæloʊz/GA-lohz

Meaninga gibbet, a cross

Common meaning: a frame for hanging

Journey through time

  1. Old EnglishgalgasourceB&T
  2. Middle Englishgalwessource
  3. Englishgallows‘a frame for hanging’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Old English galga ‘a gibbet, a cross’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry GALLOWS, p. 227 · dictionary scan; Bosworth & Toller, An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary (1898), entry GALGA, p. 360 · dictionary scan

Roots

  • galga Old English “a gibbet, a cross”

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