List of English words of Gaulish origin

A list of English Language words derived from the Celtic Gaulish language, entering English via Old Frankish or Vulgar Latin and Old French

ambassador from Old French embassadeur, from Latin ambactus, from Gaulish *ambactos, "servant", "henchman", "one who goes about". basin Perhaps originally Gaulish via Vulgar Latin and Old French battle from Latin battuere (="to beat, to strike") via French, from the same Gaulish root as "batter". batter from Old French batre (="to beat, strike"), ultimately from Gaulish. battery from Latin battuere via French, from the same Gaulish origin as "batter". beak from Old French bec, from Latin beccus, from Gaulish beccos. beret from French béret, perhaps ultimately of Gaulish origin. bilge from Old French boulge, from Latin bulga, from Gaulish bulgā, "sack". billiard, billiards perhaps from Gaulish via Latin billia and Old French bille. Bourbon, bourbon from Borvo, name of a local Celtic deity associated with thermal springs, whose name probably is related to Celtic borvo (="foam, froth"), via French. bran from Gaulish brennos, through the French bren, "the husk of wheat", "barley...". branch from Late Latin branca through Old French branche, probably ultimately of Gaulish origin. brave from Prov/Cat brau, from Gaulish bragos. budge (lambskin) from Old French bulge, from Latin bulga, from Gaulish bulgā, "sack". brie from Gaulish briga "hill, height" broach perhaps of Gaulish origin via Latin and Old French. brooch from the same origin as "broach". broccoli from Italian as a plural of broccolo "a sprout, cabbage sprout", ultimately from the same Gaulish root as "broach". brochure from French brochure "a stitched work," from brocher "to stitch" (sheets together), from Old French brochier "to prick, jab, pierce," from broche "pointed tool, awl", ultimately from the same Gaulish root as "broach". budget from Old French bougette, from bouge, from Latin bulga, from Gaulish bulgā. bulge from Old French boulge, from Latin bulga, from Gaulish bulgā, "sack", the same root as "bilge". bushel from Gaulish *bosta "palm of the hand" via French. car from Norman French carre, from L. carrum, carrus (pl. carra), orig. "two-wheeled Celtic war chariot," from Gaulish karros. career from Latin carrus, which ultimately derives from Gaulish. cargo from Latin carrus via Spanish, ultimately from the same Gaulish root as "car". caricature from French caricature (18c.), from Italian caricatura "satirical picture; an exaggeration," literally "an overloading," from caricare "to load; exaggerate," from Vulgar Latin *carricare "to load a wagon or cart," from Latin carrus "two-wheeled wagon", ultimately from the same Gaulish source as "car". carousel from French carrousel "a tilting match," from Italian carusiello, ultimately from the same Gaulish root as "car". carpenter from Gaulish, from Old Celtic *carpentom, which is probably related to Gaulish karros (="chariot"). carriage from Latin carrus, ultimately from the same Gaulish root as "car" and "carry". carry from Gaulish karros "two-wheeled Celtic war chariot" via French chock possibly from Old North French choque "a block" (Old French çoche "log," 12c.; Modern French souche "stump, stock, block"), from Gaulish *tsukka "a tree trunk, stump." change from Old French changier, "to change, alter", from the late Latin word cambiare derived from an older Latin word cambire, "to barter, exchange", a word of Gaulish origin, from PIE root *kemb- "to bend, crook". charge from Latin carrus via French, ultimately from the same Gaulish root as "car". chariot from Late Latin carrum via French, ultimately from the same Gaulish root as "car". combat from the root battuere "to beat, fight", which is believed to ultimately come from Gaulish via French. cream from Old French cresme, from the Latin word of Gaulish origin crāmum. debate from the root battuere "to beat, fight", which is believed to ultimately come from Gaulish via French. drape from Old French draper "to weave, make cloth", from Late Latin drapus, which is perhaps of Gaulish origin. druid from Gaulish Druides via French"druid" – Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 17 January 2023. dune from French dune, from Middle Dutch dūne, probably from Gaulish dunum, "hill". embassy from Middle French , from Italian ambasciata, from Old Provençal ambaisada, from Latin Ambactus, from Gaulish *ambactos, "servant", "henchman", "one who goes about". exchange from the same Gaulish root as "change" frown probably from Gaulish *frogna "nostril" via Old French frognier "to frown or scowl, snort, turn up one's nose" gallon Perhaps from Gaulish galla "vessel" via Vulgar Latin and Old French. garter from Old North French gartier (="band just above or below the knee"), perhaps ultimately from Gaulish. glean from Old French glener, from Late Latin , from Gaulish glanos, "clean". gob from Old French gobe, likely from Gaulish *gobbo-.'gob' gouge probably from Gaulish via Late Latin/Old French hibiscus perhaps from Gaulish via Greek hibiskos and then Latin hibiscum, hibiscus (="marshmallow plant"). javelin from Old French javelline, diminutive of javelot, from Vulgar Latin gabalus, from Gaulish gabalum. lozenge Probably from a pre-Roman Celtic language, perhaps Iberian *lausa or Gaulish *lausa "flat stone" marl from Gaulish according to Pliny. mine (noun) from Old French mine (="vein, lode; tunnel, shaft; mineral ore; mine" (for coal, tin, etc,)) and from Medieval Latin mina, minera (="ore,"), probably ultimately from Old Celtic *meini- mineral from the same Gaulish root as "mine". mutt a shortening of muttonhead, ultimately from the same root as mutton. mutton from Gallo-Roman *multo-s via Old French"mutton" – Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 17 January 2023. osier from Old French osier, ozier "willow twig" (13c.) and directly from Medieval Latin osera, osiera "willow," ausaria "willow bed," a word of unknown origin, perhaps from Gaulish. palfrey from Old French palefrei, from Latin paraverēdus from Greek para + Latin verēdus, from Gaulish *vorēdos. piece from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *pettia, likely from Gaulish. quay from Old French chai, from Gaulish caium."quay" – Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 31 March 2016. socket from Gaulish/Proto-Celtic *sukko-, via Vulgar Latin *soccus and Old French soc. tonsil perhaps of Gaulish origin via Latin"tonsil" – Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 17 January 2023. truant from Old French, from Gaulish *trougo-, "miser". valet from French, from Gallo-Romance *vassallittus, from Middle Latin vassallus, from vassus, from Old Celtic *wasso-, "young man", "squire". varlet from Middle French, from Gallo-Romance *vassallittus, from Middle Latin vassallus, from vassus, from Old Celtic *wasso-, "young man", "squire". vassal from Old French, from Middle Latin vassallus, from vassus, from Old Celtic *wasso-, "young man", "squire".

References

External links

Online Etymology Dictionary