Do You Give Presents Or Gifts? WATCH: Do You Give Presents Or Gifts? Gift for hubby on valentine’s day do the words gift and present come from?

Language is not a linear, predestined development. Even though it may feel as if the language we speak is in some way the logical conclusion of thousands of years of development, every word that we use has a unique, sometimes circuitous history. So, let’s dig a little deeper into the histories and meanings of these two words. The word gift appears to come from an Old Norse word, with cousins across the Germanic language. Like gift, the English verb give is found in forms in Old English but also influenced by Old Norse forms, too.