Gable
/ˈɡeɪbəl/noun
The triangular upper part of a wall beneath the sloping ends of a roof.
Did you know?The word’s ancient family links the gable’s shape with the idea of a fork or branching form, though later architectural symbolism about protection or magic is not part of the word’s documented origin.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gablaz
“Forked object or gable-like structure”
Old English
Old English
gafol
“Gable or forked architectural end”
Old Norse
Old Norse
gafl
“Gable; the forked end of a building”
Medieval Latin
Latin
gabulum
“Gable or triangular end of a building”
12th–13th Century
Old French
gable
“The triangular end of a roof or building”
Middle English
English
gable
“The upper triangular part of a wall under a sloping roof”
Modern English
English
gable
“The triangular upper wall beneath a pitched roof”