Gael

G2A1E1L1
/ɡeɪ̯l/Australia, New Zealand/ɡæɪ̯l/Scotland/ɡel/India/ɡeːl/

noun

A member of an ethnic group in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, whose language is one that is Gaelic.

OriginIrish Gae ← Old Irish Goídel ← Proto-Brythonic *Guɨðe →
Less commonScrabble 5
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Meanings

nounGael (plural Gaels)

plural Gaels

  1. A member of an ethnic group in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, whose language is one that is Gaelic.

    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.

    1911, G.K. Chesterton, The Ballad of the White Horse, Book II: The Gathering Of The Chiefs
    2 more examples

    For England knows and England fears the famous Northern Gael and that's another reason why we'll free our lads in Crumlin Jail.

    1974 January 1, “Our Lads In Crumlin Jail” (track 2, 01:38 from the start), in Kathlenn Largey (music), The Winds Are Singing Freedom, performed by Barleycorn

    Every cock in the farmyard stock crows a triumph to the Gael and it wouldn't be surprising if there'd be another rising said the man from the Daily Mail.

    1974, “The Man From The Daily Mail” (track 7, 17:50 from the start), in The Lid Of Me Granny's Bin, performed by Blackthorn
proper nounGael (plural Gaels)

plural Gaels

  1. A male given name.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
westman

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  2. Proto-Indo-European*dwi-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
  4. Proto-Indo-European*h₁weydʰh₁-
  5. Proto-Celtic*weidus
  6. Proto-Celtic*weidelos
  7. Proto-Brythonic*guɨðel
  8. Proto-Brythonic*Guɨðe
  9. Old IrishGoídel
  10. IrishGae
  11. EnglishGael

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 *weidelos (“savage, woodsman”), related to *weidus (“wild”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weydʰh₁- (“wood, wilderness”) (cf. Old English wāþ (“hunt”)). Doublet of Goidel. False cognate of English Gaul, 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.

More words from Irish, Middle Irish, Old Irish

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans gaele
  • gaeleethnic group
Catalan gaèlic
  • gaèlicethnic group
Chinese Mandarin 蓋爾人 /盖尔人
  • 蓋爾人 /盖尔人 (Gài'ěrrén)ethnic group
German Gäle, Gälin
  • Gäleethnic group
  • Gälinethnic group
Hungarian gael
  • gaelethnic group
Irish Gael, Gaedheal
  • Gaelethnic group
  • Gaedhealethnic group
Japanese ゲール人
  • ゲール人 (Gēru-jin)ethnic group
Scottish Gaelic Gàidheal
  • Gàidhealethnic group
Welsh Gael
  • Gaelethnic group

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with Gael

emailmailretailscaledetailfailtrailthumbnailtailtaledalejailyalepalegalesailavailbailvalealeGailhalehailvail
All rhymes →

Sounds the same

galeGailGaylegaleGailGayle

Anagrams

galelageLegaegalgeal
Cite this entry
APA

Gael. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gael

MLA

“Gael.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gael. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Gael,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gael.

Source: Gael on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.