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It appears that the link may be the Greek word “dosis” (which means “a portion prescribed”), from which we get our word “dose” (as in, “dose of medicine”).
“Potion” & “poison” come from the same Latin root (“potionem“, meaning “a drink” or “a poisonous drink”).
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From the Online Etymology Dictionary:
gift (n.) mid-13c. (c.1100 in surnames), from a Scandinavian source, cf. O.N. gift, gipt “gift, good luck,” from P.Gmc. *giftiz (cf. O.S. gift, O.Fris. jefte, M.Du. ghifte “gift,” Ger. Mitgift “dowry”), from PIE root *ghabh– “to give or receive” (see habit).
O.E. cognate gift meant “bride-price, marriage gift (by the groom), dowry” (O.E. noun for “giving, gift” was related giefu). Sense of “natural talent” is c.1300, perhaps from earlier sense of “inspiration” (late 12c.). As a verb from 16c., especially in gifted. As a verb, giftwrap (also gift-wrap) attested by 1936.
poison (n.) c.1200, “a deadly potion or substance,” also figuratively, from O.Fr. puison (12c.) “a drink,” later “a potion, poisonous drink” (14c.), from L. potionem (nom. potio) “a drink,” also “poisonous drink,” from potare “to drink”. Slang sense of “alcoholic drink” first attested 1805, American English.
In many Germanic languages, “poison” is euphemistically named by a word equivalent to English gift (cf. O.H.G. gift, Danish and Swedish gift; Du. gift, vergift). This choice might have been aided by Gk. dosis “a portion prescribed,” lit. “a giving,” used by Galen and other Greek physicians to mean an amount of medicine.
O.N. = Old Norse
P.Gmc = Proto-Germanic
O.S. = Old Saxon
O.Fris = Old Frisian
M.Du = Middle Dutch
PIE = Proto-Indo-European
O.E. = Old English
O.H.G. = Old High German
Du = Dutch
Gk = Greek
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