Etymology Dictionary

YAWN,  to gape.  (E.)   Spelt yane in Palsgrave.   M. E. ganien, Chaucer, Six-text ed., Group H, l. 35; where Tyrwhitt (l. 16984) has galpeth.—A. S. gánian, to yawn; Grein, i. 370.   By the usual change from A. S. á to long o, this became gonien, or gonen, of which ganien, ganen was a variant; accordingly, in Wright's Voc. i. 152, we have gonys as a various reading for ganes. + O. H. G. geinon, to yawn; mod. G. gähnen.   β. These are weak verbs, answering to a Teut. type GAINYAN (Fick, iii. 106) from the strong verb (base GIN) appearing in A. S. gínan (in the comp. tó-gínan, to gape widely, Grein, ii. 544), pt. t. gán; also in Icel. gína, to gape, yawn, pt. t. gein.   These verbs further answer to Gk. χαίνειν, to gape.   γ. The base is GIN = Aryan GHIN, an extension from GHI, weakened form of ✔GHA, to gape, whence Gk. χά-ος, a yawning gulf, Lat. hi-are, to gape, Russ. zie-vate, to yawn, &c.   Der. yawn-ing.   From the same root, cha-os, cha-sm, hi-at-us.