I am learning French and was reading Wikipedia to learn a bit about the nation. During that I came across a most fascinating section about the original name and history of the geography these people have occupied in Europe.
I've numbered (the Roman numerals seem appropriate for this) interesting bits (quoted from Wikipedia) and added some commentary of my own.
I. Source of "Gall___", as in Gallia or perhaps Galatia
a. "Greek and Latin names Galatia and Gallia -- derived from Celtic ethnic term or clan Gal(a)-to-"
b. [The people] "Galli of Gallia Celtica [a region of south-east France, Switzerland and northern Italy] were reported to have referred to themselves as Celtae [sems to be Celtic] by Caesar."
So, Galli, Gallia, and perhaps Galatia all seem to be Celtic, so saith Caesar, in his diaries.
II. source of "Gal____"
a. "Hellenistic folk etymology connected the name of the Galatians (???????, Galátai) to the supposedly "milk-white" skin (????, gála "milk") of the Gauls."
b. "Modern researchers say it is related to Welsh gallu,[4] Cornish galloes,[5] "capacity, power",[6] thus meaning "powerful people"."
Welsh 'gallu' is not Celtic, is it? Didn't Caesar say GALatia was Celtic?
III. "Gall" and "Gaul" according to the English
a. "The English Gaul is from French Gaule and is unrelated to Latin Gallia, despite superficial similarity."
Encroyable ! How is that possible? What are the odds?
b. "As adjectives, English has the two variants: Gaulish and Gallic."
c. "The two adjectives are used synonymously, as "pertaining to Gaul or the Gauls", although the Celtic language or languages spoken in Gaul is predominantly known as Gaulish."
That's consistent with "Gall___" coming from Celtic regions or even Wales, but when did it become synonymous with "Gaul___"?
IV. "Gaul___"
a. "The name Gaul is derived from the Old Frankish reflex of Proto-Germanic *walhaz, "foreigner, Romanized person", an exonym applied by Germanic speakers to Celts and Latin-speaking people indiscriminately, making it cognate with the names Wales and Wallachia."
So, 'Gaul' comes from a proto-Germanic Frank word for 'foreigner'?
b. "The Germanic w- is regularly rendered as gu- / g- in French (cf. guerre = war, garder = ward), and the diphthong au is the regular outcome of al before a following consonant (cf. cheval ~ chevaux)."
"au" is pronounced like "o", so "Gaul" should be pronounced 'g' 'O' 'l' like 'goal'. That's weird. Imagine Charles DeGOoooooooooooooooAL Bad soccer play there I suppose. Heh.
c. "Gaule or Gaulle cannot be derived from Latin Gallia, since g would become j before a (cf. gamba > jambe), and the diphthong au would be unexplained;" the regular outcome of Latin Gallia is Jaille in French, which is found in several western placenames, such as La Jaille-Yvon and Saint-Mars-la-Jaille."
This seems to be a kind of proof that "Gaul__" is not Latin language origin.
V. "Gaul" related to "Gael"?
a. "Also unrelated in spite of superficial similarity is the name Gael."
b. "The Irish word gall did originally mean "a Gaul", i.e. an inhabitant of Gaul, but its meaning was later widened to "foreigner", to describe the Vikings, and later still the Normans."
c. "The dichotomic words gael and gall are sometimes used together for contrast, for instance in the 12th-century book Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib."
Even the Irish thought the Gauls were foreigners. Apparently it was in or before the 12th century when "gall" and "gaul" became intertwined!
Summary -- Wow
Gal -- from Welsh 'gallu' (powerful Welsh people), not related at all to France or Gauls
Galli -- people of Gallia Celtica region (south-east France, part of Switzerland and N. Italy)
Gall -- Latin words for Celtic clan, the Galli of Gallia Celtica probably
Gaul -- from Frankish *walhaz, a foreigner, not from Latin Gall___ at all!
Gael -- Irish for foreigner referred to a Gaul and later also Vikings and Normans, so came after
Thus, Gallipolis in Gallia County, in Ohio, from Latin and not the French/Frank "Gaul".
And, the Galloping Gourmet is probably not even French!
My new French-language blog (pray for me) is parleparleparle.blogspot.comI've numbered (the Roman numerals seem appropriate for this) interesting bits (quoted from Wikipedia) and added some commentary of my own.
I. Source of "Gall___", as in Gallia or perhaps Galatia
a. "Greek and Latin names Galatia and Gallia -- derived from Celtic ethnic term or clan Gal(a)-to-"
b. [The people] "Galli of Gallia Celtica [a region of south-east France, Switzerland and northern Italy] were reported to have referred to themselves as Celtae [sems to be Celtic] by Caesar."
So, Galli, Gallia, and perhaps Galatia all seem to be Celtic, so saith Caesar, in his diaries.
II. source of "Gal____"
a. "Hellenistic folk etymology connected the name of the Galatians (???????, Galátai) to the supposedly "milk-white" skin (????, gála "milk") of the Gauls."
b. "Modern researchers say it is related to Welsh gallu,[4] Cornish galloes,[5] "capacity, power",[6] thus meaning "powerful people"."
Welsh 'gallu' is not Celtic, is it? Didn't Caesar say GALatia was Celtic?
III. "Gall" and "Gaul" according to the English
a. "The English Gaul is from French Gaule and is unrelated to Latin Gallia, despite superficial similarity."
Encroyable ! How is that possible? What are the odds?
b. "As adjectives, English has the two variants: Gaulish and Gallic."
c. "The two adjectives are used synonymously, as "pertaining to Gaul or the Gauls", although the Celtic language or languages spoken in Gaul is predominantly known as Gaulish."
That's consistent with "Gall___" coming from Celtic regions or even Wales, but when did it become synonymous with "Gaul___"?
IV. "Gaul___"
a. "The name Gaul is derived from the Old Frankish reflex of Proto-Germanic *walhaz, "foreigner, Romanized person", an exonym applied by Germanic speakers to Celts and Latin-speaking people indiscriminately, making it cognate with the names Wales and Wallachia."
So, 'Gaul' comes from a proto-Germanic Frank word for 'foreigner'?
b. "The Germanic w- is regularly rendered as gu- / g- in French (cf. guerre = war, garder = ward), and the diphthong au is the regular outcome of al before a following consonant (cf. cheval ~ chevaux)."
"au" is pronounced like "o", so "Gaul" should be pronounced 'g' 'O' 'l' like 'goal'. That's weird. Imagine Charles DeGOoooooooooooooooAL Bad soccer play there I suppose. Heh.
c. "Gaule or Gaulle cannot be derived from Latin Gallia, since g would become j before a (cf. gamba > jambe), and the diphthong au would be unexplained;" the regular outcome of Latin Gallia is Jaille in French, which is found in several western placenames, such as La Jaille-Yvon and Saint-Mars-la-Jaille."
This seems to be a kind of proof that "Gaul__" is not Latin language origin.
V. "Gaul" related to "Gael"?
a. "Also unrelated in spite of superficial similarity is the name Gael."
b. "The Irish word gall did originally mean "a Gaul", i.e. an inhabitant of Gaul, but its meaning was later widened to "foreigner", to describe the Vikings, and later still the Normans."
c. "The dichotomic words gael and gall are sometimes used together for contrast, for instance in the 12th-century book Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib."
Even the Irish thought the Gauls were foreigners. Apparently it was in or before the 12th century when "gall" and "gaul" became intertwined!
Summary -- Wow
Gal -- from Welsh 'gallu' (powerful Welsh people), not related at all to France or Gauls
Galli -- people of Gallia Celtica region (south-east France, part of Switzerland and N. Italy)
Gall -- Latin words for Celtic clan, the Galli of Gallia Celtica probably
Gaul -- from Frankish *walhaz, a foreigner, not from Latin Gall___ at all!
Gael -- Irish for foreigner referred to a Gaul and later also Vikings and Normans, so came after
Thus, Gallipolis in Gallia County, in Ohio, from Latin and not the French/Frank "Gaul".
And, the Galloping Gourmet is probably not even French!
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