Old English godsibb named a godparent — a 'God-sibling' — but the word drifted from sacred sponsor to close friend to idle talker, completing one of English's most dramatic semantic descents.
Casual conversation or unverified reports about other people's private affairs. Also, a person who habitually spreads such talk.
Old English godsibb meant 'godparent' — a compound of god ('God') and sibb ('relative, kinsman'). A godparent was literally a 'God-sibling', bound by spiritual ties at baptism. By Middle English, godsibb had broadened to mean any close friend or companion. From close friend came the sense
The word 'gossip' began as a term for one of the most sacred social bonds in medieval Christianity — the godparent relationship. Within a few centuries it had descended from holy sponsor to idle chatterer, illustrating how profoundly words can be transformed by social context.