The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #59647   Message #951982
Posted By: GUEST,Q
13-May-03 - 04:11 PM
Thread Name: Origins of the word 'Gig'
Subject: RE: Origins of the word 'Gig'
I vote for Clinton H.

The word gigue (Fr.) giga (It.) has had a peculiar history. Its earliest use was for a lute or fiddle (German geige = fiddle). It later came to mean "a piece of music of lively character...."
In English, it first appeared in print in 1685. "Airs for the violin, to wit, Preludes, Fuges [fugues], Allemands, Sarabands, Courants, Gigues." London Gazette. OED. Also see Grove's Dictionary of Music.