Gallia

Forms

Gallia f (genitive Galliae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin Gallus (“a Gaul”) + -ia, the land of the Gauls.^[1][2][3] The medieval use for Wales comes from confusion with Wallia.^[1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Ennius, whom Köbler dates 204–169 BC, is the first the OLD cites, for the north of the Italian peninsula, the region the Romans first called Gaul.^[5][2]

Semantic evolution

As first applied by the Romans it meant northern Italy, later distinguished as Gallia citerior, Cisalpīna or togāta.^[5][6] It then named the province in the south-east of modern France, Gallia Narbōnēnsis, and the land roughly corresponding to modern France and Belgium, Gallia ulterior or Trānsalpīna, which Caesar opens his account by dividing into three parts.^[5] Gallia comāta was the name of the parts other than Cisalpine Gaul and Narbonensis, and the plural Galliae meant two or more parts together.^[5]

In Medieval Latin it could stand for Wales, by confusion with Wallia,^[1][4] and in New Latin it is France.^[1] English Gaul comes from it through French.^[3]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it for northern Italy.^[5][2]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of Gallia ulterior and of the two Gauls joined under one command.^[5][2]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar begins his commentaries with Gallia est omnis divisa in partis tris, “all Gaul is divided into three parts”.^[5][2]
• 1560s – English Gaul is taken from French ⟨Gaule⟩, from this word.^[3]

Meanings

Proper noun

1. Gaul as first named by the Romans: northern Italy, Gallia citerior or Cisalpīna.^[5][6]
2. The province in south-eastern France, Gallia Narbōnēnsis.^[5]
3. Gaul beyond the Alps, roughly modern France and Belgium, Gallia ulterior or Trānsalpīna.^[5]
4. (plural) Two or more of the parts of Gaul.^[5]
5. (Medieval Latin) Wales.^[1][4]
6. (New Latin) France.^[1]

Related words

• English Gaul

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier