Etymology Dictionary

GANG (1),  a crew of persons.  (Scand.)   The word gang occurs in M.E. in the sense of 'a going,' or 'a course.'   The peculiar use of gang in the sense of a 'crew' is late, and is rather Scand. than E.   In Skinner, ed. 1671.   'Gang, a company, a crew;' Kersey's Dict. ed. 1715.   He adds that 'in sea-affairs, gangs are the several companies of mariners belonging to a ship;' so that the term arose amongst our sailors.—Icel. gangr, a going; also, collectively, a gang, as músa-gangr, a gang of mice, þjófagangr, a gang of thieves. + Swed. gång, a going, a time. + Dan. gang, walk, gait. + Du. gang, course, pace, gait, tack, way, alley, passage. + Goth. gaggs (= gangs), a way, street.   β. The M.E. gang, a course, way, is from A.S. gang, a journey (Bosworth); which is from A.S. gangan, to go; Grein, i. 367, 368.   So also Icel. gangr, is from Icel. ganga.   See Go.   Der. gang-way, from M.E. gang, a way, with the word way unnecessarily added, after the sense of the word became obscured; gang-board, a Dutch term, from Du. gangboord, a gangway. [†]

ADDENDA

GANG (2),  to go.  (Scand.)   In Barbour's Bruce, ii. 276, iv. 193, x. 421.—Icel. ganga, to go; see Go.