Gavel
early 19th century (originally US in the sense ‘stonemason's mallet’): of unknown origin.
wiktionary
From Middle English gavel, from Old English gafol, from Proto-Germanic *gabulą, from Proto-Germanic *gebaną(“to give”), equivalent to give + -el.
Origin obscure. Perhaps alteration of cavel(“a stone mason's hammer”). More at cavel. Has also been linked to an Old Norse origin.
Old French gavelle, French javelle, probably diminutive from Latin capulus(“handle”), from capere(“to lay hold of, seize”); or compare Welsh gafael(“hold, grasp”). Compare heave.
gavel (plural gavels)
etymonline
gavel (n.)
"small mallet used by presiding officers at meetings," 1805, American English, of unknown origin; perhaps connected with German dialectal gaffel "brotherhood, friendly society," from Middle High German gaffel "society, guild," related to Old English gafol "tribute," giefan "to give" (from PIE root *ghabh- "to give or receive"). But in some sources gavel also is identified as a type of mason's tool, in which case the extended meaning may be via freemasonry. As a verb, by 1887, from the noun. Old English had tabule "wooden hammer struck as a signal for assembly among monks," an extended sense of table (n.).
