gable

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gable XIV (gavel, gable). of twofold orig., — (i) ON. gafl and (ii) OF. gable, itself prob. — the ON. word; the corr. words in the other Gmc. langs. mean ‘fork’ (OE. ġeafol, OHG. gabala, G. gabel, etc.), the words for ‘gable’ showing another vowel-grade, e.g. MDu. ghevel, OHG. gibil (G. giebel), Goth. gibla.

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