gees
UK[dʒiːz]US[dʒiːz]
n
Plural form of 'gee', a word of command to a horse or other draft animal, directing it to turn to the right.
v
Third person singular present tense of 'gee', meaning to turn to the right or to cause an animal to turn to the right.
interj
An exclamation of surprise, enthusiasm, or mild emphasis.
Etymology
The word 'gee' as a command to horses originated in the early 17th century, likely as a clipped form of the name 'Jesus', used as a mild oath to urge an animal forward. This practice of using sacred names for commands is seen in other terms like 'giddy-up'. The exclamatory use, expressing surprise or emphasis, developed from this same origin. The plural and verbal forms ('gees', 'geeing', 'geed') are regular English inflections built upon this established simplex base. Its journey from a potentially sacred name to a mundane directional command exemplifies the process of semantic bleaching in language evolution.
Analysis
The word 'gee' is a simplex word. It is a command to animals, likely a shortening of 'Jesus' used as a mild oath or exclamation. Its functional role is as an interjection or command.
Examples
The driver called out "gees" to guide the oxen.
He always gees the team to the right at this corner.
Gee, I hadn't thought about it that way before.