The adverb εγγυς (eggus) means near or close (of a place or a condition), nigh or at hand (of a time), nearly (of numbers), akin to (of relationships). It's formed from the common preposition εν (en), meaning in, and a derivation of the same Proto-Indo-European root "gew-", meaning to curve, from which English gets words like keel, gown, gut, and German the familiar nouns Kugel, ball or orb, and Kopp, head. In Greek, also the familiar noun γυρος (guros), anything round (hence "gyro" and "gyrate"), comes from this root.

In use, our adverb εγγυς (eggus) is similar to the much more common παρα (para), which means near or beside. The adverb εγγυς (eggus) occurs 30 times in the New Testament, see full concordance, and from it derive:

The adjective εγγυος (egguos) means secured or guaranteed: being under or yielding or having to do with a pledge. This adjective derives from the verb εγγυαω (egguao), to pledge or give or take something or someone in security. In the classics this word was used often in the sense of to betroth (one's daughter) or be betrothed (of a man), or in the sense of pledging some valuable item or even one's good name to the truth of some statement or goodness of some promise of more to come. Our adjective is closely related to the adverb εγγυς (eggus), see above, and was formed in the same way, from εν (en), in, and the PIE root "gew-", meaning to curve. In the New Testament our adjective occurs in Hebrews 7:22 only.