gaita

Etymology

Uncertain; likely from Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍄𐍃 (gaits, “goat”), from Proto-Germanic *gaits.^[1] See gaita for other proposals.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɡai̯tɐ]

Noun

gaita f (plural gaitas)

1. (music) bagpipes
2. (figurative) penis

   Non me toque'la gaita!

   Don't play the bagpipe for me! / Don't touch my penis! / Stop harassing me!

   • Traditional:

     A muller do gaiteriño

     muller de moita fortuna

     ela toca duas gaitas

     outras non tocan ningunha

     The bagpiper's wife,

     a woman with much fortune,

     she plays two bagpipes,

     others don't play not even one

See also

• gaita on the Galician Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^gl

References

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “gayteyro”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “gaita”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “gaita”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “gaita”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeh₂- (“to go, step”), related to the past tense of iet.

Noun

gaita f (4th declension)

1. course
2. process
3. gait

Etymology 1

Uncertain. Suggested derivations include:

• Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍄𐍃 (gaits, “goat”), from Proto-Germanic *gaits, with semantic shift due to bagpipes being made of goat skin;
• Ottoman Turkish (Turkish gayda), from Bulgarian гайда (gajda), possibly via Arabic غَيْطَة (ḡayṭa);
• Old Galician-Portuguese guaita, from Proto-Germanic *wahta;
• from the same root as Spanish gayo;
• Hausa algaita, via a Berber language;
• Suevic.

Etymology 2

Etymology

Probably from Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍄𐍃 (gaits, “goat”).^[1][2] More at Portuguese gaita.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡaita/ [ˈɡai̯.t̪a]

• Audio (Venezuela):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aita
• Syllabification: gai‧ta

Noun

gaita f (plural gaitas)

1. (music) bagpipes
2. (colloquial) tripe, nonsense
3. gullet
4. (colloquial) gullet (neck)

References

Further reading

• “gaita”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10