gaine

Meaning

Concepts

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɡɛn/

Inherited from Middle French

Inherited from Old French

Inherited from Latin

Cognate with Italian

Cognate with Catalan

Cognate with Spanish

Cognate with Portuguese

Cognate with Old English

In summary

Inherited from Middle French guaine, from Old French guaïne, inherited from Latin vāgīna (“sheath, scabbard”). Doublet of borrowed vagin. Cognate with Italian guaina, Catalan beina, Spanish vaina, Portuguese bainha. The change of the onset from Vulgar Latin /v/ to Old French /(ɡ)w/ is due to Germanic influence. One theory sees in it a confluence with Frankish *wāgi (“cup”, compare Old English wǣġe). Alternatively it might be simply that as a military term the word was used most frequently among the Frankish warrior class and therefore came to be generalised in the form corresponding to their accent.