gawk English · revision 1345

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɡɔːk/; /ɡɑk/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is of uncertain origin.^(Etymonline) It is perhaps an alteration of obsolete ''gaw'' “to stare”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) from Middle English ''gowen'',^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) of Scandinavian origin, related to Old Norse ''gá'' “to heed”.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) The form may have been influenced by ''gawk hand'' “left hand”^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) and by verbs such as ''talk'' and ''walk''.^(Barnhart 1995) Etymonline notes other views that it is an independent imitative formation or connected with ''gowk'' “cuckoo”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To stare or gape stupidly (1785, American English).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The noun meaning an awkward, foolish person is dated to 1757 by Merriam-Webster^(MW Collegiate) and to 1837 by the OED,^(OED 1989) while Etymonline dates the noun to 1867.^(Etymonline) ''Gawky'' (1759) is formed from ''gawk'' “left-handed, clumsy”.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1703 – ''gawk hand'', left hand.^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1757 – noun, a clumsy person, per Merriam-Webster.^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1759 – ''gawky''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1785 – verb, to stare stupidly.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1940 – noun, a look or glance.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To stare or [[gape]] stupidly.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # An awkward, foolish person; a [[lout]] or [[oaf]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[gawker]]

+ * [[gawky]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[gowk]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Random House gives ''peer'', ''ogle'', ''gaze'', ''goggle'' and ''rubberneck'' as synonyms of the verb.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}