Meanings
proper nounHelvetii pl
- historicalpluralA Gallic tribe that occupied the plain of Switzerland.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*pélh₁us“many”
- Proto-Celtic*ɸelus“many”
- LatinHelvetii
- EnglishHelvetii
From Latin Helvetii, from a Celtic name. First element from Proto-Celtic *ɸelus (“many”), from Proto-Indo-European *pélh₁us (“many”); second element said to be from Celtic root *ɸeitu (“grassland, terrain”), which shares an origin with Old Irish íath (“grassland, territory”).
More words from Latin, Proto-Celtic, Proto-Indo-European
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech Helvéti
- HelvétiGallic tribe
French Helvètes
- HelvètesGallic tribe
German Helvetier
- HelvetierGallic tribe
Italian Elvezi
- ElveziGallic tribe
Latin Helvetii
- HelvetiiGallic tribe
Spanish Helvecios
- HelveciosGallic tribe
Cite this entry
APA
Helvetii. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Helvetii
MLA
“Helvetii.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Helvetii. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Helvetii,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Helvetii.
Source: Helvetii on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.