An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Gaumen

by Friedrich Kluge

Gaumen, m., ‘palate, taste,’ from MidHG. goume, guome, OHG. goumo (giumo?), guomo, m., ‘palate, throat, jaw’; corresponding to AS. gôma, m., ‘palate,’ E. gums (probably from AS. *gumma, since, moreover, there are numerous forms in earlier ModHG. which point to an OHG. *gummo, ‘palate’); OIc. gómr, m., ‘palate’; Goth. *gaumô, *gômô, n., are wanting. Allied to Lith. gomyris, ‘palate.’ The relation of the vowels of the stem (OHG. and MidHG. ou and uo, AS. and Scand. ô) is obscure; see Bude. Some etymologists connect the word with a Teut. root gau (Gr. χαν (in χαῦνος, ‘gasping, loose,’ χάος, ‘chasm,’ for χάϝος).