Gau
See also: gau, GAU, gấu, and gâu
English
Etymology
Two main origins:
- Borrowed from German Gau, a habitational surname.
- A variant of Gao, a surname of Chinese origin.
Proper noun
Gau (plural Gaus)
- A surname.
Statistics
- According to the 2010 United States Census, Gau is the 19703rd most common surname in the United States, belonging to 1367 individuals. Gau is most common among White (76.74%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (18.07%) individuals.
Further reading
- Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Gau”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 2, New York City: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 21.
German
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɡaʊ̯/
- Rhymes: -aʊ̯
Etymology 1
From Middle High German göu, gou, from Old High German gawi, gouwi, from Proto-West Germanic *gawi, from Proto-Germanic *gawją from earlier *gaawja (“riverlands, lakeside land”), from collective *ga- + *awjō (“land by a waterway”).
Cognates
Compare Low German Gohe, Dutch gouw, West Frisian gea, goa, Old English ġē), German Aue.
Noun
Gau m (strong, genitive Gaues or Gaus, plural Gaue)
- (now chiefly in placenames) shire; district
- (historical) an administrative unit of the Third Reich
- (historical) nome of ancient Egypt
Declension
Declension of Gau [masculine, strong]
| singular | plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | noun | def. | noun | |
| nominative | ein | der | Gau | die | Gaue |
| genitive | eines | des | Gaues, Gaus | der | Gaue |
| dative | einem | dem | Gau, Gaue1 | den | Gauen |
| accusative | einen | den | Gau | die | Gaue |
1Now uncommon, see notes.
Derived terms
- Gaugraf
- Gauleiter
- Reichsgau
Etymology 2
From the acronym GAU (“worst-case scenario”).
Noun
Gau m (strong, genitive Gaues or Gaus, plural Gaue)
- (informal) an accident, a calamity
- Roland Kopp-Wichmann, Depression ist für das Herz genauso schädlich wie Rauchen:
- Außerdem neigen die Blutplättchen von depressiven Menschen eher dazu, sich zu Gerinnseln zusammenzuballen. Diese können irgendwann wichtige Adern verstopfen und einen Gau im Herzen oder Hirn auslösen.
- (please add an English translation of this quote)
- Roland Kopp-Wichmann, Depression ist für das Herz genauso schädlich wie Rauchen:
Declension
Declension of Gau [masculine, strong]
| singular | plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | noun | def. | noun | |
| nominative | ein | der | Gau | die | Gaue |
| genitive | eines | des | Gaues, Gaus | der | Gaue |
| dative | einem | dem | Gau, Gaue1 | den | Gauen |
| accusative | einen | den | Gau | die | Gaue |
1Now uncommon, see notes.
References
- “Gau” in Duden online
- “Gau” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache