Gawain

[ gah-win, gaw- ]

noun

1. Arthurian Legend. one of the knights of the Round Table: a nephew of King Arthur.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Gawain¹

From Old French Gauvain, Gavain, from Medieval Latin Galvaginus, Gwalguanus, often considered to be a corruption of Welsh Gwalchmei, perhaps from gwalch “hawk” ( Galahad ( def ) ) and a second element of uncertain origin, possibly either maes “field” + Mai May ( def )

Example Sentences

He is perhaps best known for 1971 orchestral work The Triumph of Time, as well as operas The Mask Of Orpheus, Gawain and The Minotaur.

From BBC

You’re less likely to have seen the tale of Arthur’s nephew Gawain — the subject of the anonymous 14th-century poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” — on the big screen.

From New York Times

Set in the England of King Arthur’s reign, the film stars Dev Patel as Sir Gawain, who takes up a challenge posed by another knight of mysterious origin.

From Los Angeles Times

As a poet with two literature degrees, I can’t resist a weird archaic poem about Celtic mythology — or a film adaptation of that poem, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.”

From New York Times

The score often comments on Gawain from an authorial perspective, rather than emanating from within him.

From Los Angeles Times