gué

Meaning

ford (crossing)

Concepts

ford

crossing

fording

sand bar

shallows

shoal

stepping stone

crossing place

driveway

Synonyms

croisement

haut-fond

passage

banc de sable

pas japonais

Translations

Furt

guado

vado

vau

voorde

vadum

gual

ırmak geçidi

passatoio

voord

sasseto

Schwemme

guadare

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɡe/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French: gué

Inherited from Old French: gué

Cognate with Latin: vadum

Cognate with Italian: guado

Cognate with Occitan: ga

Cognate with Catalan: gual

Cognate with Middle Dutch: wat

Cognate with Old High German: wat

Cognate with Old English: wæd

In summary

Inherited from Middle French gué, from Old French gué (“ford”), probably from Old Frankish *wad (“ford, crossing”) (perhaps through a Vulgar Latin *wadam), from Proto-Germanic *wadą (“ford, crossing”), from Proto-Indo-European *weh₂dʰ- (“to go, pass, cross, wade”).
Also corresponds to Latin vadum (cognate to the Germanic term through Indo-European), which may have influenced or reinforced it. Compare Italian guado, Occitan ga, Catalan gual; alternative etymologies of Romance cognates derive these terms from the Latin vadum, with later influence from or crossing with the Germanic term. Cognate with Middle Dutch wat (“ford”), Old High German wat (“ford”), Old English wæd (“ford, water, sea, ocean”). More at wade.