Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Fine Gael” come from?

Fine Gael (English) comes from Irish Fine 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 “Fine Gael”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1IrishFine Gael—
2IrishGaelGael, Irish person; Highlander
3IrishGaoidheal—
4Middle IrishGaídel—
5Old IrishGoídelGael
6Old WelshGuoidelwild man, warrior
7Proto-Brythonicguɨðelsavage, woodsman
8Proto-Celticwēduswild
9Proto-Indo-Europeanwidʰu-forest, wood; tree, beam
Every word from Proto-Indo-European widʰu- →