gʰeh₂d-
“to unite, join, fit”Source of English good, gather, together
Root meaning to fit or be suitable, yielding English good, gather, together.
Discussion
The PIE root *gʰeh₂d- (to unite, to join, to fit together) is the ancestor of English good, gather, and together — see the full treatment at the variant notation *gʰeHd-. The root's semantic core is fitness and belonging: something good is something that fits, that belongs, that has been joined to its proper place. English good (OE gōd, PGmc *gōdaz) descends from a participial formation meaning "that which has been fitted/joined." English gather (OE gaderian, "to bring together") and together (OE tōgædere, "to-gather") preserve the original uniting sense. The connection between *gʰeh₂d- (joining/fitting) and the evaluative concept of goodness reveals that PIE speakers conceived value as a matter of proper arrangement — what fits is what is good.