go
UK[ɡəʊ]US[ɡoʊ]
v
To move or travel from one place to another.
v
To leave or depart.
v
To function or operate.
v
To become or pass into a specified state.
v
To be expressed in a particular way.
n
An attempt or turn at doing something.
n
Energy, vigor, or spirit.
Etymology
The verb 'go' originates from the Old English 'gān', which meant "to advance, walk, depart". This descended from the Proto-Germanic gāną, a verb of motion. Its ultimate Proto-Indo-European root is likely ǵʰeh₁-, meaning "to leave, abandon, release". The semantic journey is direct, from the ancient concept of releasing oneself from a location to the broad modern senses of movement, departure, and transition. Its irregular past tense 'went' is borrowed from the unrelated verb 'wend'.
Analysis
The word 'go' is a simplex verb of Germanic origin. It cannot be meaningfully segmented into smaller morphemes in its modern English form.
Examples
I need to go to the store.
The clock won't go if the battery is dead.
It's your go now—roll the dice.