Etymology

Always derived from ON, cp. gil 'deep, narrow glen with a stream at the bottom' < PGmc *gil-, cp. MDu giel 'open mouth', OHG gil 'hernia'. Orel derives the nouns from a PGmc *giēnan-, represented by OHG giēn 'strive, aspire', which he relates to verbs such as Lat hiō 'open, be open, gape'. The root is not attested in OE, but a cognate would be expected to show palatalization of the initial consonant.

PGmc Ancestor

*gil-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

gil 'deep, narrow glen with a stream at the bottom'
(ONP gil (sb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far gil, Icel gil, Norw gil

OE Cognate

Phonological and morphological markers

absence of palatalization of */ɡ/

Summary category

A1bc

Attestation

All of the citations from textual sources in MED come from the N/EM. It is also a frequent place-name element, where EPNE observes it is particularly frequent in the NW (e.g. Blagill in Cumbria), and attributes it specifically to the settlement of Norw vikings, pointing out that the term does not occur in ODan. EDD notes that the MnE dial word is in general use in the N/EM, but there are also recorded instances as far afield as Kent, Sur. and Sus.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

WA 3231

The D MS of WA reads <gylle-stormez>.

Bibliography

MED gil (n.1) , OED gill (n.2) , HTOED , EDD gill (sb.2), Bj. 153, 191, 283, de Vries gil (1), Mag. gil (1), Orel *ʒilan ~ *ʒilō, EPNE gil