An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/gaffen

by Friedrich Kluge

gaffen, verb, ‘to gape at,’ from the equivalent Middle High German (Middle German) gaffen, Old High German *gaffên (deduced from Old High German geffida, feminine, ‘contemplation’); Gothic *gapan is wanting. The ordinary Middle High German and Old High German words for the modern gaffen are kapfen and chapfên (Gothic *kappan, verb, is wanting). Hence, according to the sounds, the two words are radically different; in the Modern High German period, Middle High German kapfen has given way to gaffen. The latter signifies literally ‘to look on with open mouth;’ compare Dutch gapen and the equivalent English to gape, Old Icelandic gapa, ‘to open the mouth wide,’ gap, ‘chaos.’ The Teutonic root gap, ‘to gape,’ is allied to Sanscrit root jabh, ‘to snap’?.