* Old Norse: It's believed to have originated from the Old Norse word "geysa," meaning "to pour out" or "to gush forth." This is thought to relate to the idea of guessing as a spontaneous and unpredictable outpouring of thought.
* Old English: The word then developed further in Old English as "geassan," meaning "to guess" or "to conjecture."
The connection: While the exact link is debated, some scholars suggest that the original "pouring out" idea evolved into the sense of "making a sudden judgment based on incomplete information," which is the essence of guessing.
Fun fact: The word "guess" and its related forms like "guesstimate" are part of a large group of words connected to the idea of "pouring" or "flowing," including words like "gush," "gust," and "gushing."
So, the next time you make a guess, remember that it's a word with Viking roots, representing the spontaneous and uncertain nature of making a judgment without full knowledge.