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 becco.
- bilge
- from Old French boulge, from Latin bulga, from Gaulish bulgā, "sack".
- bran
- from Gaulish brenno, 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.
- 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.
- cream
- from Old French cresme, from Gaulish crāmum.
- 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.
- down
- from Celtic root dún.
- duffel
- from the placename Duffel, from dubro en locus, from Gaulish dubrum, *dubron, "water".
- dune
- from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German, or French, all from Gaulish *dunom.
- embassy
- from Middle French embassee, from Italian ambasciata, from Old Provençal ambaisada, from Latin Ambactus, from Gaulish *ambactos, "servant", "henchman", "one who goes about".
- glean
- from Old French glener, from Late Latin glennare, from Gaulish glanos, "clean".
- gob
- from Old French gobe, likely from Gaulish *gobbo-.
- 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.
- 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".
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