Where does “gallant” come from?
Gallant comes from Middle English galant, from Old French galant, from Old French galer, ultimately from Frankish wala and galla.
gallant (English): brave, valiant; honorable; grand, noble
Definitions
- brave, valiant; honorable; grand, noble
Ancestry of “gallant”, step by step
gallant traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English galant
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | galant | — |
| 2 | Old French | galant | present participle of galer; brave; noble;... |
| 3 | Old French | galer | to rub; to scratch; to have fun; to enjoy oneself |
| 4 | Old French | galle | — |
| 5 | Latin | galla | the oak apple, gall-nut; a harsh, sour kind of... |
| 6 | Gaulish | gallā | vessel |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | gallǭ | gall, bile |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰelh₃- | to flourish; green, yellow |
via French galant
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | galant | present participle of galer; gallant, courteous,... |