gerät

From Middle High German geræte (“consultation; equipment”), from Old High German girāti (“advice, consultation”), derived from rāt (“advice, council”), whence modern German Rat. The semantic development can, theoretically, be explained internally through a path “consultation” → “precaution” → “equipment”. However, the word has without doubt been influenced by another term, at hand in Old High German gireiti (“stuff, equipment”), which is related with bereit (“ready”). Both became homophonous in