'gatherings' ultimately comes from the verb 'gather', which originates from Old English (e.g. 'gaderian' or forms like 'gadrian'), where the root meant 'to bring together' or 'collect'.

'gather' changed from Old English forms such as 'gaderian' into Middle English 'gaderen'/'gatheren' and later became the modern English 'gather'. The noun form developed by adding the suffix '-ing' to form 'gathering', with the plural 'gatherings'.

Initially it meant 'to bring together' or 'collect'; over time this core idea remained but extended to mean organized meetings, collections of things or people, and harvests—usages reflected in modern 'gatherings'.