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
 * dune : from French dune, from Middle Dutch dūne, probably from Gaulish dunum, "hill".
 * embassy : from Middle French embassee, 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 glennare, from Gaulish glanos, "clean".
 * gob : from Old French gobe, likely from Gaulish *gobbo-.
 * 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
 * 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.
 * socket : from Gaulish/Proto-Celtic *sukko-, via Vulgar Latin *soccus and Old French soc.
 * tonsil : perhaps of Gaulish origin via Latin
 * 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".