Wordwyrt

gape

/ˈɡeɪp/GAYP
/ˈɡeɪp/GAYP

Meaningopen the mouth wide

Common meaning: open the mouth wide in surprise

Journey through time

  1. Aryan root · reconstructed√GABH‘snap, bite, gape’No written record; from Skeat’s list of Aryan roots, no. 90, p. 733 · scan
  2. Old Norsegapa‘open the mouth wide’source
  3. Middle Englishgapen‘open the mouth’source
  4. Englishgape‘open the mouth wide in surprise’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Old Norse gapa ‘open the mouth wide’.

Roots

  • gapa Old Norse “open the mouth wide”

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