goose
A large waterbird with a long neck, related to ducks and swans.
Etymology
From Old English gōs (plural gēs), from Proto-Germanic *gans, from PIE *ǵʰans- "goose." This is one of the most perfectly preserved PIE words — the resemblance between English "goose," Latin "anser," Greek "khḗn," and Sanskrit "haṃsá" was noted by early comparative linguists as powerful evidence for the Indo-European language family.
The Journey: *ǵʰans- → goose
*ǵʰans-
*gans
gōs (pl. gēs)
goose (pl. geese)
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *ǵʰans-. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word |
|---|---|
| Greek | khḗn |
| Latin | ānser |
| Welsh | gwydd |
| Russian | gusĭ |
| Sanskrit | haṃsá |
| Old Irish | géiss |
| Lithuanian | žąsìs |
Did You Know?
Sanskrit haṃsá means both "goose" and "swan" — it is the vehicle of Brahma and the origin of the word "hamsa" in yoga philosophy. Same PIE root as English "goose."
This word descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰans-. See the full root page for descendant trees, sound law references, and scholarly discussion.