Where does “gallivant” come from?
gallivant (English) comes from English gallant, from Middle English galant, from Old French galant, from Old French galer, from Old French galle, from Latin galla, from Gaulish gallā, from Proto-Germanic gallǭ — to flourish; green, yellow.
gallivant (English): To roam about for pleasure without any definite...
Definitions
- To roam about for pleasure without any definite...
Ancestry of “gallivant”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | gallant | brave, valiant; honorable; grand, noble |
| 2 | Middle English | galant | — |
| 3 | Old French | galant | present participle of galer; brave; noble;... |
| 4 | Old French | galer | to rub; to scratch; to have fun; to enjoy oneself |
| 5 | Old French | galle | — |
| 6 | Latin | galla | the oak apple, gall-nut; a harsh, sour kind of... |
| 7 | Gaulish | gallā | vessel |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | gallǭ | gall, bile |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰelh₃- | to flourish; green, yellow |