Galge
/ˈɡal.dʒə/noun
An obsolete Middle English word for a gallows or execution frame.
Did you know?The word belongs to an ancient Germanic family associated with the gallows, while later English transformed a related form into “gallows.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*galgô
“A gallows or pole used for hanging”
Old Norse
Old Norse
galgi
“A gallows or execution pole”
Old English
Old English
gealga
“A gallows or hanging frame”
Middle English
Middle English
galge
“A gallows; an apparatus for execution by hanging”
14th–15th Century
English
galge
“An obsolete form referring to a gallows”
Modern English
English
gallows
“The structure used for hanging a condemned person”