*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of goal

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeh₂-der. Proto-Germanic *gailō Proto-West Germanic *gailu Old English *gāl Middle English gol English goal From Middle English gol (“boundary, limit”), from Old English *gāl (“obstac

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
verb

To score a goal.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeh₂-der. Proto-Germanic *gailō Proto-West Germanic *gailu Old English *gāl Middle English gol English goal From Middle English gol (“boundary, limit”), from Old English *gāl (“obstacle, barrier, marker”), from Proto-West Germanic *gailu, from Proto-Germanic *gailō (“crevice, gap”); compare the Old English's derivatives Old English gǣlan (“to hinder, delay”), and hyġegǣls (“hesitating, slow, sluggish”), hyġegǣlsa (“slow one, sluggish one”). Possibly cognate with Lithuanian gãlas (“end”), Latvian gals (“end”), Old Prussian gallan (“death”), Albanian ngalem (“to be limping, lame, paralyzed”), ngel (“to remain, linger, hesitate, get stuck”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentiongolenm · boundary, limit
  • Inherited-form mention*gālang · obstacle, barrier, marker
  • Derivation mention*gailugmw-pro
  • Derivation mention*gailōgem-pro · crevice, gap
  • Cognate mentiongǣlanang · to hinder, delay
  • Cognate mentiongãlaslt · end
  • Cognate mentiongalslv · end
  • Cognate mentiongallanprg · death
  • Cognate mentionngalemsq · to be limping, lame, paralyzed
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:gol",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *ǵʰeh₂-der.\nProto-Germanic *gailō\nProto-West Germanic *gailu\nOld English *gāl\nMiddle English gol\nEnglish goal\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"gape\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*ǵʰeh₂-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*gailō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*gailu\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"*gāl\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"gol\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"goal\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"goal\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "gol",
        "t": "boundary, limit"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English gol (“boundary, limit”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "*gāl",
        "t": "obstacle, barrier, marker"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English *gāl (“obstacle, barrier, marker”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*gailu"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *gailu"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*gailō",
        "t": "crevice, gap"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *gailō (“crevice, gap”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "gǣlan",
        "t": "to hinder, delay"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English gǣlan (“to hinder, delay”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "lt",
        "2": "gãlas",
        "t": "end"
      },
      "expansion": "Lithuanian gãlas (“end”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "lv",
        "2": "gals",
        "t": "end"
      },
      "expansion": "Latvian gals (“end”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "prg",
        "2": "gallan",
        "t": "death"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Prussian gallan (“death”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sq",
        "2": "ngalem",
        "t": "to be limping, lame, paralyzed"
      },
      "expansion": "Albanian ngalem (“to be limping, lame, paralyzed”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
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        "tree": "1"
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    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*ǵʰeh₂-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ǵʰeh₂-#Proto-Indo-European:_gape"
    ],
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      "*gailō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/gailō"
    ],
    [
      "*gailu",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/gailu"
    ],
    [
      "*gāl",
      "Reconstruction:Old English/gal"
    ],
    [
      "gol",
      "gol#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "gol",
      "gol#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "*gāl",
      "Reconstruction:Old English/gal"
    ],
    [
      "*gailu",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/gailu"
    ],
    [
      "*gailō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/gailō"
    ],
    [
      "gǣlan",
      "gælan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "hyġegǣls",
      "hygegæls#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "hyġegǣlsa",
      "hygegælsa#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "gãlas",
      "galas#Lithuanian"
    ],
    [
      "gals",
      "gals#Latvian"
    ],
    [
      "gallan",
      "gallan#Old_Prussian"
    ],
    [
      "ngalem",
      "ngalem#Albanian"
    ],
    [
      "ngel",
      "ngel#Albanian"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To score a goal."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "1bf1ccd61e4e8a7a151f3490ffee2ea7b97621cae90bdf332b8b1b5aa824edab",
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
noun

A result that one is attempting to achieve. · In many sports, an area into which the players attempt to put an object. · The act of placing the object into the goal. · A point scored in a game as a result of placing the object into the goal.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeh₂-der. Proto-Germanic *gailō Proto-West Germanic *gailu Old English *gāl Middle English gol English goal From Middle English gol (“boundary, limit”), from Old English *gāl (“obstacle, barrier, marker”), from Proto-West Germanic *gailu, from Proto-Germanic *gailō (“crevice, gap”); compare the Old English's derivatives Old English gǣlan (“to hinder, delay”), and hyġegǣls (“hesitating, slow, sluggish”), hyġegǣlsa (“slow one, sluggish one”). Possibly cognate with Lithuanian gãlas (“end”), Latvian gals (“end”), Old Prussian gallan (“death”), Albanian ngalem (“to be limping, lame, paralyzed”), ngel (“to remain, linger, hesitate, get stuck”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentiongolenm · boundary, limit
  • Inherited-form mention*gālang · obstacle, barrier, marker
  • Derivation mention*gailugmw-pro
  • Derivation mention*gailōgem-pro · crevice, gap
  • Cognate mentiongǣlanang · to hinder, delay
  • Cognate mentiongãlaslt · end
  • Cognate mentiongalslv · end
  • Cognate mentiongallanprg · death
  • Cognate mentionngalemsq · to be limping, lame, paralyzed

This page abbreviates 8 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:gol",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *ǵʰeh₂-der.\nProto-Germanic *gailō\nProto-West Germanic *gailu\nOld English *gāl\nMiddle English gol\nEnglish goal\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"gape\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*ǵʰeh₂-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*gailō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*gailu\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"*gāl\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"gol\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"goal\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"goal\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "gol",
        "t": "boundary, limit"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English gol (“boundary, limit”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "*gāl",
        "t": "obstacle, barrier, marker"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English *gāl (“obstacle, barrier, marker”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*gailu"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *gailu"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*gailō",
        "t": "crevice, gap"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *gailō (“crevice, gap”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "gǣlan",
        "t": "to hinder, delay"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English gǣlan (“to hinder, delay”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "lt",
        "2": "gãlas",
        "t": "end"
      },
      "expansion": "Lithuanian gãlas (“end”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "lv",
        "2": "gals",
        "t": "end"
      },
      "expansion": "Latvian gals (“end”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "prg",
        "2": "gallan",
        "t": "death"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Prussian gallan (“death”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sq",
        "2": "ngalem",
        "t": "to be limping, lame, paralyzed"
      },
      "expansion": "Albanian ngalem (“to be limping, lame, paralyzed”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
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    }
  ],
  "links": [
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    ],
    [
      "*gailō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/gailō"
    ],
    [
      "*gailu",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/gailu"
    ],
    [
      "*gāl",
      "Reconstruction:Old English/gal"
    ],
    [
      "gol",
      "gol#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "gol",
      "gol#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "*gāl",
      "Reconstruction:Old English/gal"
    ],
    [
      "*gailu",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/gailu"
    ],
    [
      "*gailō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/gailō"
    ],
    [
      "gǣlan",
      "gælan#Old_English"
    ],
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      "hyġegǣls",
      "hygegæls#Old_English"
    ],
    [
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      "hygegælsa#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "gãlas",
      "galas#Lithuanian"
    ],
    [
      "gals",
      "gals#Latvian"
    ],
    [
      "gallan",
      "gallan#Old_Prussian"
    ],
    [
      "ngalem",
      "ngalem#Albanian"
    ],
    [
      "ngel",
      "ngel#Albanian"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Armenian",
      "lang_code": "hy",
      "word": "գոլ",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "gol"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "lang_code": "az",
      "word": "qol",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Basque",
      "lang_code": "eu",
      "word": "gol",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Belarusian",
      "lang_code": "be",
      "word": "гол",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "hol"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "lang_code": "bg",
      "word": "гол",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "gol"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "lang_code": "ca",
      "word": "gol",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Central Kurdish",
      "lang_code": "ckb",
      "word": "گۆڵ",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "goll"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Czech",
      "lang_code": "cs",
      "word": "gól",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "lang_code": "nl",
      "word": "goal",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "lang_code": "eo",
      "word": "golo",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "French",
      "lang_code": "fr",
      "word": "goal",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Galician",
      "lang_code": "gl",
      "word": "gol",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "lang_code": "ka",
      "word": "გოლი",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "goli"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Greek",
      "lang_code": "el",
      "word": "γκολ",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "gkol"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "lang_code": "hu",
      "word": "gól",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Ido",
      "lang_code": "io",
      "word": "golo",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Indonesian",
      "lang_code": "id",
      "word": "gol",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Italian",
      "lang_code": "it",
      "word": "gol",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Italian",
      "lang_code": "it",
      "word": "goal",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "lang_code": "ja",
      "word": "ゴール",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "gōru"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Korean",
      "lang_code": "ko",
      "word": "골",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "gol"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Luxembourgish",
      "lang_code": "lb",
      "word": "Gol",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Māori",
      "lang_code": "mi",
      "word": "kōrā",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Persian",
      "lang_code": "fa",
      "word": "گل",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "gol"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Polish",
      "lang_code": "pl",
      "word": "gol",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "word": "gol",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Brazil"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "word": "golo",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Portugal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "lang_code": "ro",
      "word": "gol",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "word": "гол",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "gol"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "lang_code": "sh",
      "word": "го̑л",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "gȏl"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Slovak",
      "lang_code": "sk",
      "word": "gól",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Slovene",
      "lang_code": "sl",
      "word": "gól",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A result that one is attempting to achieve.",
        "In many sports, an area into which the players attempt to put an object.",
        "The act of placing the object into the goal.",
        "A point scored in a game as a result of placing the object into the goal."
      ],
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "descendants": 6,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 2,
    "glosses": 0
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}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for goal →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-Z29hbA