Where does “gala” come from?
gala (French) comes from Spanish gala, from Old Spanish gala, from Old French gale, from Old French galer, from Old French galle, from Latin galla, from Gaulish gallā, from Proto-Germanic gallǭ — to flourish; green, yellow.
gala (French): third-person singular past historic of galer
Definitions
- third-person singular past historic of galer
Ancestry of “gala”, step by step
gala traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Spanish gala
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | gala | feminine singular of galo; gala; elegant dress,... |
| 2 | Old Spanish | gala | — |
| 3 | Old French | gale | pomp; show; festivity; mirth; rejoicing |
| 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 |
via Italian gala
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian | gala | bow; bow tie; frill, flounce, ruche |