Etymology

cp. OIcel gift ‘gift’without palatalization of /ɡ/ < PGmc *geftiz; cp. OE gift, gyft normally ‘gift to a woman at marriage, dowry; (pl.) marriage’, Go fragifts, OFris ieft, OS, OHG gift ‘gift’. There is an apparent difference in sense with the OE cognate, which is used overwhelmingly in relation to marriage (in contrast to giefu, for a non-specific gift), but there are exceptions (see DOE s.v. gyft, gift). See also ʒeres-ʒiftes.

PGmc Ancestor

*geftiz

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

gift 'gift'
(ONP gift (sb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far gift, Icel gift, Norw gift, Dan gift, Sw gift

OE Cognate

gift, gyft ‘gift to a woman at marriage, dowry; (pl.) marriage’

Phonological and morphological markers

absence of palatalization of */ɡ/

Summary category

A1*c

Attestation

Forms clearly indicating initial /ɡ/- are attested earliest in N, but by the 15c. they are relatively common in the SE.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Gaw 68, 288,  1500 etc.; Pe 565, 607; Pat 335; WA 1660, 2027, 2407 etc.

Bibliography

MED yift(e (n.) , OED gift (n.1) , HTOED , Dance gifte, Bj. 156, ONP gift (n.), de Vries gipt, gift, Mag. gift, Orel *ʒeftiz, AEW gift