Where does “gala” come from?

gala (Portuguese) comes from Italian gala, from Old French gale, from Old French galer, from Old French galle, from Latin galla, from Gaulish gallā, from Proto-Germanic gallǭ, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃- — to flourish; green, yellow.

gala (Portuguese): gala showy and festive party

Definitions

  1. gala showy and festive party

Ancestry of “gala”, step by step

gala traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Italian gala

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italiangalabow; bow tie; frill, flounce, ruche
2Old Frenchgalepomp; show; festivity; mirth; rejoicing
3Old Frenchgalerto rub; to scratch; to have fun; to enjoy oneself
4Old Frenchgalle
5Latingallathe oak apple, gall-nut; a harsh, sour kind of...
6Gaulishgallāvessel
7Proto-Germanicgallǭgall, bile
8Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰelh₃-to flourish; green, yellow

via Portuguese galar

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Portuguesegalarto mate with (a female bird) of a male bird
2Portuguese-arforms the impersonal infinitive of...
3Old Portuguese-ar
4Latin-arepresent active infinitive of -ō; -āre;...
5Latin-oforms masculine agent nouns, positive and...
6Proto-Italic-ōd
7Proto-Indo-European-éad

via Spanish Galán

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1SpanishGalángallant
2Frenchgalantpresent participle of galer; gallant, courteous,...

Words derived from “gala

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃-Every word from Proto-Germanic gallǭEvery word from Gaulish gallā