Where does “Gael” come from?
Gael (Catalan) comes from English Gael, from Irish Gael, from Irish Gaoidheal, from Middle Irish Gaídel, from Old Irish Goídel, from Old Welsh Guoidel, from Proto-Brythonic guɨðel, from Proto-Celtic wēdus — forest, wood; tree, beam.
Ancestry of “Gael”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Gael | A member of an ethnic group in Ireland, Scotland... |
| 2 | Irish | Gael | Gael, Irish person; Highlander |
| 3 | Irish | Gaoidheal | — |
| 4 | Middle Irish | Gaídel | — |
| 5 | Old Irish | Goídel | Gael |
| 6 | Old Welsh | Guoidel | wild man, warrior |
| 7 | Proto-Brythonic | guɨðel | savage, woodsman |
| 8 | Proto-Celtic | wēdus | wild |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | widʰu- | forest, wood; tree, beam |