gallant

gallant · adjective¹

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*gailaz“merry; excited; luxurious”
2. Frankish · derived from*gail“merry; mirthful; proud; luxuriant”
3. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*welh₁-“to choose, wish”
4. Proto-Germanic · derived from*wela
5. Old French · derived fromgalant“courteous; dashing; brave”
6. Middle English · inherited fromgalant
7. English todaygallant

From Middle English galant, galaunt, from Old French galant (“courteous; dashing; brave”), present participle of galer (“to rejoice; make merry”), from gale (“pomp; show; festivity; mirth”); either from Frankish *wala (“good, well”), a variant form of *wela, from Proto-Germanic *wela (whence well), from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“to choose, wish”); or alternatively from Frankish *gail (“merry; mirthful; proud; luxuriant”), from Proto-Germanic *gailaz (“merry; excited; luxurious”), related to Dutch geil (“horny; lascivious; salacious; lecherous”), German geil (“randy; horny; lecherous; wicked”), Old English gāl (“wanton; wicked; bad”).

gallant · adjective, noun, verb²

1. French · derived fromgalant
2. English todaygallant

17th-century borrowing from French galant. See above.

Words from the same roots