gau
noun
ˈgau̇
plural gaus
-au̇z
or gaue -au̇ə
1
: a region or district in German tribal organization including two or more marks and inhabited by kindred tribes
2
: one of the 20 party districts into which Germany including Austria was divided by the National Socialists
Word History
Etymology
German, from Old High German gouw-, gewi district, region; akin to Old English -gē district, region (in place names), Old Frisian gā, Old Saxon -gō (in place names), Gothic gawi; all probably from a prehistoric West Germanic-East Germanic compound whose components are represented respectively by Old High German gi- (perfective and collective prefix) and ouwa land by water, meadow