3

The use of "Gangway!" to tell people to get out of the way seems to be relatively recent (e.g. 100 years) in use.

There is a common equivalent expression in Cantonese, pronounced something like "Gwan-soy!".

Is there any evidence that the English term might simply be a mispronunciation of this Cantonese expression, perhaps as heard by naval or merchant marine seamen in Hong Kong?

This would be the same as how "Bombay", as a similar sounding English word, became the Anglicized version of "Mumbai" (or variations thereof).

Another example would be the French "chaise longue", meaning "long chair", which has become Anglicized as "chaise lounge". "Lounge" is a completely different English word, but it sounds similar to the French word for "long" and it's meaning fits well with the use of this furniture.

Inspired by: Meaning of 滾水 as Cantonese idiom - Chinese Language Stack Exchange

Improve this question
5
  • "Gangway" as a term for a passageway has uses going back to the 1700s, at least.
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Aug 1, 2020 at 3:22
  • As an interjection in English, the proper spelling is "Gang way!" It means "Get out of the way!" See collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/gang-way
    – rhetorician
    Commented Aug 1, 2020 at 12:03
  • Right. And as two separate words it matches the mispronunciation of the two word Cantonese expression even better.
    – Ray Butterworth
    Commented Aug 1, 2020 at 12:10
  • 1
    @rhetorician: the first usages of gangway in this sense were all one word. And as far as I can tell, there's no etymological reason to spell it with two words. The dictionary you cite also gives the one-word spelling, so it's just asserting that two spellings exist, not that one of them is "correct".
    – Peter Shor
    Commented Aug 1, 2020 at 15:16
  • @PeterShor: We may need to agree to disagree, agreeably, on this one, Peter. As an interjection, "Gang way!" is perfectly acceptable, and it means to get ready for the imminent arrival of something great or imposing. "Make room on the gangway for the debarking of the passengers" is also perfectly acceptable. In other words, make room for the passengers who are making their way down the external staircase/walkway from the ship to the dock.
    – rhetorician
    Commented Aug 2, 2020 at 16:16

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
5

It appears that there is no evidence of a possible origin from Cantonese. Gangway has its roots in Old English gangweg "road, passage, thoroughfare”.

temporary passageway" to a ship, building under construction, etc., ultimately from Old English gangweg "road, passage, thoroughfare;" a compound of gang (n.) in its original sense "a going, journey, way, passage" and way (n.).

(Etymonline)

Improve this answer
2
  • Yes, I'm not questioning the origins of the word "gangway" itself. It's only the use of that English word's pronunciation applied to a completely different meaning foreign word that I'm wondering about. See my recently added French "longue" (meaning "lounge") which has been Anglicized as "lounge". There's no suggestion that the ordinary English word "lounge" originated from the French word "longue", except in this one specific usage.
    – Ray Butterworth
    Commented Aug 1, 2020 at 12:07
  • 2
    @RayButterworth I think your question needs to be clearer, then. Gangway is not related to the Cantonese expression etymologically, and although some corrupted Cantonese words do make it into English (such as char for tea), the fact that gangway is actually an Old English word makes it unlikely here. You have your answer, unless you have asked the wrong question.
    – Andrew Leach ♦
    Commented Aug 1, 2020 at 12:15

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .