gale

gale · verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*gʰel-“to shout, scream, charm away”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*galaną“to roop, sing, charm”
3. Old English · inherited fromgalan“to sing, enchant, call, cry, scream; sing charms, practice incantation”
4. Middle English · inherited fromgalen
5. English todaygale

From Middle English galen, from Old English galan (“to sing, enchant, call, cry, scream; sing charms, practice incantation”), from Proto-Germanic *galaną (“to roop, sing, charm”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰel- (“to shout, scream, charm away”). Cognate with Danish gale (“to crow”), Swedish gala (“to crow”), Icelandic gala (“to sing, chant, crow”), Dutch galm (“echo, sound, noise”). Related to yell.

gale · noun, verb²

1. Old Norse · derived fromgala“to sing”
2. North Germanic · derived from
3. Old English · inherited fromgalan
4. Middle English · derived fromgale“a wind, breeze”
5. English todaygale

From Middle English gale (“a wind, breeze”), possibly from Old English galan, possibly an unknown North Germanic origin, related to Icelandic gola (“a breeze”), Danish gal (“furious, mad”), both from Old Norse gala (“to sing”), and thus ultimately related to the above word (etymology 1).

gale · noun³

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*gagulaz“gale; sweet-willow”
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*gagul
3. Old English · inherited fromgagel
4. Middle English · inherited fromgaile
5. English todaygale

From Middle English gaile, gawl, gawwyl, gaȝel, gagel, from Old English gagel, gagelle, gagille, gagolle (“gale; sweet gale”), from Proto-West Germanic *gagul, from Proto-Germanic *gagulaz (“gale; sweet-willow”). Cognate with Scots gaul, gall (“bog-myrtle”), Dutch gagel (“wild myrtle”), German Gagel (“myrtle-bush”), Icelandic gaglviður (“sweet-gale; myrtle”).

gale · noun⁴

1. Old English · inherited fromgafol
2. Middle English · inherited fromgavel“rent; tribute”
3. English todaygale

From Middle English gavel (“rent; tribute”), from Old English gafol.

Words from the same roots