英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

agave (n.): American aloe plant, 1797, from Latin Agave, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at," from gaiein "to rejoice, exult," with intensive prefix a-. The name seems to have been taken generically by botanists, the plant perhaps so called for its "stately" flower stem.
Bhagavad-Gita (n.): dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna inserted in Mahabharata, from Sanskrit, "Song of the Sublime One," from Bhaga, a god of wealth, from Sanskrit bhagah, literally "allotter, distributor, master, lord," from bhajati "assigns, allots, apportions, enjoys, loves" (related to Avestan baga, Old Persian baga "master, lord, god") + gita "song," fem. past participle of gayate "sings, calls," from PIE root *gei- "to sing" (cognates: Avestan gatha "song," Lithuanian giedoti "to sing").
forgave: past tense of forgive (q.v.).
gavage (n.): "force-feeding of poultry for market," 1889, from French gavage, from gaver "to stuff" (17c.; see gavotte).
gave: past tense of give.
gavel (n.): "small mallet used by presiding officers at meetings," 1805, American English, of unknown origin; perhaps connected with German dialectal gaffel "brotherhood, friendly society," from Middle High German gaffel "society, guild," related to Old English gafol "tribute," giefan "to give" (see habit). But in some sources gavel also is identified as a type of mason's tool, in which case the extended meaning may be via freemasonry. As a verb, by 1887, from the noun. Old English had tabule "wooden hammer struck as a signal for assembly among monks," an extended sense of table (n.).
gavotte (n.): lively dance, 1690s, from French gavotte (17c.), from Old Provençal gavoto "mountaineer's dance," from gavot, a local name for an Alpine resident, said to mean literally "boor, glutton," from gaver "to stuff, force-feed poultry," from Old Provençal gava "crop." From the same source is French gavache "coward, dastard." The Italianized form is gavotta.
megavolt (n.): 1868, from mega- + volt.