Etymology Explorer › Old French

Where does “Gales” come from?

Gales (Old French) comes from Old English Wēalas, from Old English wealh, from Old English īeġ, from Proto-West Germanic auwju, from Proto-Germanic awjō, from Proto-Germanic agwjō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ékʷeh₂ — water.

Ancestry of “Gales”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old EnglishWēalas—
2Old Englishwealhforeigner; Briton or Welshman; slave
3Old Englishīeġisland
4Proto-West Germanicauwjufloodplain; meadow; island
5Proto-Germanicawjōfloodplain; meadow; island
6Proto-Germanicagwjō—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ékʷeh₂water

Words derived from “Gales”

  • Sugales
  • Norgales
  • galois
  • Galois
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ékʷeh₂ →