An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Gasse

by Friedrich Kluge

Gasse, feminine, ‘lane, road, row,’ from Middle High German gaȥȥe, Old High German gaȥȥa, feminine, properly (as even yet in Upper German) ‘street’; corresponding to Gothic gatwô, feminine, ‘lane, street,’ Old Icelandic gata (accusative gǫtu), ‘way, street, path.’ From the Scandinavian word English gate, ‘way,’ is derived. Properly speaking, the word is unknown to the Low German languages. Whether Gasse is allied to Anglo-Saxon geat, English (Scotch), gate, gait (see Gatter), Old Saxon and Dutch gat, neuter, ‘hole, cavern,’ Old Icelandic gat, neuter, ‘hole,’ and is derived from a primary meaning, ‘inlet, opening’ — Gasse, literally ‘furnished with an entrance, a gate,’ on account of the suffix -wân? — cannot be definitely decided; in any case, it is impossible to connect Gasse with gehen, since the latter is based upon a root i (Latin ire, Greek ἰέναι).