Gin
early 18th century: abbreviation of genever.
wiktionary
Abbreviation of geneva, alteration of Dutch genever(“juniper”) from Old French genevre (French genièvre), from Latin iūniperus(“juniper”). Hence gin rummy (first attested 1941).
Partly from Middle English gin, ginne(“cleverness, scheme, talent, device, machine”), from Old French gin, an aphetism of Old French engin(“engine”); and partly from Middle English grin, grine(“snare, trick, stratagem, deceit, temptation, noose, halter, instrument”), from Old English grin, gryn, giren, geren(“snare, gin, noose”).
From Middle English ginnen(“to begin”), contraction of beginnen, from Old English beginnan, from Proto-Germanic *biginnaną.
Borrowed from Dharug dyin(“woman”), but having acquired a derogatory tone. [1]
Cognate to Scots gin(“if”): perhaps from gi(v)en, [1] or a compound in which the first element is from Old English ġif (English if) and the second is cognate to English an(“if”) (compare iffen), [1] or perhaps from again. [1]
etymonline
gin (n.1)
type of distilled drinking alcohol, 1714, shortening of geneva, altered (by influence of the name of the Swiss city, with which it has no connection) from Dutch genever "gin," literally "juniper" (because the alcohol was flavored with its berries), from Old French genevre "the plant juniper" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *jeniperus, from Latin juniperus "juniper" (see juniper).
Gin and tonic is attested by 1873; gin-sling by 1790; gin-fizz (with lemon juice and aerated water) is from 1878. Gin-mill, U.S. slang for "low-class tavern or saloon where spirits are drunk" (1872) might be a play on the senses from gin (n.2). British gin-palace "gaudily decorated tavern or saloon where spirits are drunk" is from 1831.
The card game gin rummy first attested 1941 (described in "Life" that year as the latest Hollywood fad); OED lists it with the entries for the liquor, but the sense connection seems obscure other than as a play on rummy.
gin (n.2)
"machine for separating cotton from seeds," 1796, American English, used earlier of other machineries, especially of war or torture, from Middle English gin "ingenious device, contrivance" (c. 1200), from Old French gin "machine, device, scheme," shortened form of engin (see engine). The verb in this sense is recorded from 1789. Related: Ginned; ginning. Middle English had ginful "ingenious, crafty; guileful, treacherous" (c. 1300).
gin (v.1)
in slang phrase gin up "enliven, make more exciting," 1887 (ginning is from 1825), perhaps a special use of the verb associated with gin (n.2) "engine," but perhaps rather or also from ginger up in the same sense (1849), which is from ginger in sense of "spice, pizzazz;" specifically in reference to the treatment described in the 1796 edition of Grose's slang dictionary under the entry for feague:
... to put ginger up a horse's fundament, and formerly, as it is said, a live eel, to make him lively and carry his tail well; it is said, a forfeit is incurred by any horse-dealer's servant, who shall shew a horse without first feaguing him. Feague is used, figuratively, for encouraging or spiriting one up.
gin (v.2)
"to begin," c. 1200, ginnen, shortened form of beginnen (see begin).
