Gael

See also: gael, gáel, gäl, and Gaël

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Irish Gael, alt. Gaol, from earlier Gaoidheal, cognate with Scottish Gaelic Gàidheal and Manx Gael, from Middle Irish Gaídel, from Old Irish Goídel (“Irishman”), a loanword from Old Welsh Guoidel (“wild man, warrior”) (also recorded as a personal name in the Book of Llandaff), from Proto-Brythonic *guɨðel (“savage, woodsman”), from Proto-Celtic *wēdelos (“savage, woodsman”), related to *wēdus (“wild”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weydʰh₁- (“wood, wilderness”) (cf. Old English wāþ (“hunt”)).[1] Doublet of Goidel, unrelated to Gaul or Gallia.

Medieval Irish traditions, including the Lebor Gabála Érenn, trace the origin of the Goídels to an eponymous ancestor, Goídel Glas, but this is no longer held to be the ultimate etymology of the word.

Pronunciation

Noun

Gael (plural Gaels)

  1. A member of an ethnic group in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, whose language is one that is Gaelic.
    • 1911, G.K. Chesterton, The Ballad of the White Horse, Book II: The Gathering Of The Chiefs:
      For the great Gaels of Ireland
      Are the men that God made mad,
      For all their wars are merry,
      And all their songs are sad.

Translations

Proper noun

Gael (plural Gaels)

  1. An unknown-gender given name.

References
  1. Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 408

Anagrams

Irish

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old Irish Goídel, from Old Welsh Guoidel (“wild man, warrior”) (compare Welsh Gwyddel (“Irishman”)), from Proto-Brythonic *guɨðel, from Proto-Celtic *wēdus (“wild”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weydʰh₁- (“wood, wilderness”) (compare Old English wāþ (“hunt”)).[1]

Replaced native terms féni (“class of landed Irish freemen”) and fénechas (“matters pertaining to the féni”), though these words survive as féine and féineachas, respectively, and derive ultimately from the same root.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ɡeːlˠ/

Noun

Gael m (genitive singular Gaeil, nominative plural Gaeil)

  1. Gael, Gaelic person
  2. (~ de chuid na hAlban) (Scottish) Highlander
    Synonyms: duine as an nGàidhealtachd, Híleantóir

Declension
Declension of Gael

First declension

Bare forms:

Case Singular Plural
Nominative Gael Gaeil
Vocative a Ghaeil a Ghaela
Genitive Gaeil Gael
Dative Gael Gaeil

Forms with the definite article:

Case Singular Plural
Nominative an Gael na Gaeil
Genitive an Ghaeil na nGael
Dative leis an nGael

don Ghael

 leis na Gaeil

Derived terms
  • Cumann Lúthchleas Gael m (“the Gaelic Athletic Association”)
  • Gaeilge f, Gaelainn (“the Irish language”)
  • Gael-Mheiriceánach (“Irish-American”, adjective)
  • Gael-Mheiriceánach m (“Irish-American”)
  • Gaelach (“Irish; attached to the Irish language, to Irish culture”)
  • Gaelachas m (“Irish characteristic(s), Irishness; attachment to Irish culture”)
  • Gaelaigh (“Gaelicize”, verb)
  • Gaelcholáiste m (“Irish-medium secondary school”)
  • Gaeltacht f (“Irishry; Irish(-speaking) people; Irish-speaking area; Gaelic-speaking area of Scotland”)
  • Gaelú m (“Gaelicization”)
  • Gall-Ghael m (“person of mixed Irish and foreign descent; Anglo-Irishman”)

Mutation
Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
Gael Ghael nGael
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References
  1. Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 408

Further reading

Spanish

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ɡaˈel/ [ɡaˈel]
  • Rhymes: -el
  • Syllabification: Ga‧el

Proper noun

Gael m

  1. a male given name
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