Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “gaule” come from?

gaule (French) comes from Middle French gaule, from Old French gaule, from Frankish Walhaland, from Frankish Walha, from Proto-Germanic walhaz, from Latin Volcae, from Proto-Celtic wolkos, from Proto-Indo-European welg- — wet, damp.

gaule (French): pole; fishing pole; boner

Definitions

  1. pole; fishing pole; boner

Ancestry of “gaule”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchgaule—
2Old Frenchgaule—
3FrankishWalhalandGaul, Land of the Romans, foreigners
4FrankishWalhaforeigners, Romans, Celts
5Proto-Germanicwalhazforeigner, non-Germanic person
6LatinVolcaea Gallic tribal confederation; name of a Celtic...
7Proto-Celticwolkoshawk
8Proto-Indo-Europeanwelg-wet, damp
Every word from Proto-Indo-European welg- →