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".

beak 

from Old French bec, from Latin beccus, from Gaulish beccos.

bilge 

from Old French boulge, from Latin bulga, from Gaulish bulgā, "sack".

bran 

from Gaulish brennos, through the French bren, "the husk of wheat", "barley...".

brave 

from Prov/Cat brau, from Gaulish bragos.

budge (lambskin) 

from Old French bulge, from Latin bulga, from Gaulish bulgā, "sack".

budget 

from Old French bougette, from bouge, from Latin bulga, from Gaulish bulgā.^[1]

bulge 

from Old French boulge, from Latin bulga, from Gaulish bulgā, "sack".

car 

from Norman French carre, from L. carrum, carrus (pl. carra), orig. "two-wheeled Celtic war chariot," from Gaulish karros.^[2]

cream 

from Old French cresme, from the Latin word of Gaulish origin crāmum.^[3]

change 

of Gaulish origin, from PIE base *kamb- "to bend, crook". Borrowed into Latin as cambire-> Late Latin cambiare "to barter, exchange", from there to Old French changier "to change, alter", onwards to Middle English.

embassy 

from Middle French embassee, from Italian ambasciata, from Old Provençal ambaisada, from Latin Ambactus, from Gaulish *ambactos, "servant", "henchman", "one who goes about".^[4]

glean 

from Old French glener, from Late Latin glennare, from Gaulish glanos, "clean".

gob 

from Old French gobe, likely from Gaulish *gobbo-.^[5]

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.^[6]

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

For a list of words relating to with Gaulish origins, see the English terms derived from Gaulish category of words in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

For a list of words relating to with Celtic origins, see the Celtic derivations category of words in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Online Etymology Dictionary