Where does “gaule” come from?
gaule (Middle French) comes 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.
Ancestry of “gaule”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | gaule | — |
| 2 | Frankish | Walhaland | Gaul, Land of the Romans, foreigners |
| 3 | Frankish | Walha | foreigners, Romans, Celts |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | walhaz | foreigner, non-Germanic person |
| 5 | Latin | Volcae | a Gallic tribal confederation; name of a Celtic... |
| 6 | Proto-Celtic | wolkos | hawk |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | welg- | wet, damp |
Words derived from “gaule”