[ giv ] (verb.) 13th century. Middle English given, from Old Norse gefa 'to give' (compare Danish give, Swedish giva), from Proto-Germanic *gebanan (“to give”) (compare West Frisian jaan, Dutch geven, German geben), from Proto-Indo-European *ghab(h)- (“to take, hold, have”) (compare Old Irish gaibim 'I hold', Latin habēre 'to have', Lithuanian gabenti 'to take away', gabana 'armful', Polish gabać 'to seize', Sanskrit gabhasti 'hand'). This verb displaced native Middle English yiven, yeven, from Old English giefan, gifan. More at gift.