# Giddy - Etymology

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giddy-etymology/180591>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 9, 2003, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giddy-etymology/180591 "2003-06-09T04:19:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Major\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Major\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Major_Kong)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giddy-etymology/180591/1 "2003-06-09T04:19:31Z")

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Did giddy derive from a word meaning foolish or mad(crazy) in Middle English?

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giddy-etymology/180591/2 "2003-06-09T04:27:48Z")

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Yes. Check out [http://m-w.com](http://m-w.com)

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**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giddy-etymology/180591/3 "2003-06-09T04:29:41Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Major Kong \*  
> \*\*Did giddy derive from a word meaning foolish or mad(crazy) in Middle English? \*\*

According to [this site](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=giddy), it does. Also, one of its more distant ancestors is the Germanic \*_gudigaz_, "possessed by a god. Hmmm, I’d guess [Gudegast](http://www.klio.net/RATPATROL/BIOS/HG_bio.html) is also descended from that root…

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**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giddy-etymology/180591/4 "2003-06-09T10:30:30Z")

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Giddy is like saying “goddy.”

Both _God_ and _giddy_ come from the Proto-Indo-European root \*gheu- ‘to invoke’.