gallus

See also: Gallus

English

Noun

gallus

1. plural of gallu

See also

• one-gallus

Latin

gallus (rooster)

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈɡal.lus/, [ˈɡälːʲʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈɡal.lus/, [ˈɡälːus]

Etymology 1

From Proto-Italic *galsos, enlargement of *gl̥s-o-, zero-grade of Proto-Indo-European *gols-o-, from *gelH- (“to call”); compare Proto-Balto-Slavic *galsas (“voice”), Proto-Germanic *kalzōną (“to call”), Albanian gjuhë (“tongue; language”), and perhaps Welsh galw (“call”).

Noun

gallus m (genitive gallī); second declension

1. a cock, rooster, cockerel

Usage notes

The term gallus is inherently masculine and refers to a "rooster"/"cock" (male chicken). The term gallīna is used for a "hen" (female chicken). The term pullus refers to a "chicken" without specifying the sex of the animal, although it often refers to a "chick".

Declension

Second-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	gallus	gallī
genitive	gallī	gallōrum
dative	gallō	gallīs
accusative	gallum	gallōs
ablative	gallō	gallīs
vocative	galle	gallī

Derived terms

• gallicinium
• gallicrus
• gallīna
• gallīnāceus
• gallīnārium
• gallīnārius
• gallīnula
• *gallīnus
• gallopāvō
• gallulasco
• gallus in sterquilinio suo plurimum potest

 

Descendants

• Corsican: gallu
• Franco-Provençal: jal
• Picard: glaine
• Italian: gallo
• Old French: jal
• Old Leonese:
  • Asturian: gallu
• Old Occitan:
  • Catalan: gall
  • Occitan: gal, jal
• Old Galician-Portuguese: galo
  • Galician: galo
  • Portuguese: galo (see there for further descendants)
• Old Spanish:
  • Ladino:

    Hebrew script: גאייו

    Latin script: gayo

  • Spanish: gallo
• Gallo-Italic:
  • Ligurian: gallo
  • Romagnol: gal
• Rhaeto-Romance:
  • Friulian: gjal
• Sicilian: jaḍḍu, gaḍḍu
• Translingual: Gallus
• Venetan: gàło
• → Albanian: gjel
• → Old Irish: Gall (personal name)
  • → Czech: Havel (personal name)

See also

• pullus
• cāpō

Etymology 2

Likely derived from Proto-Celtic *galnati (“to be able”). See also Ancient Greek Γαλάτης (Galátēs), which might be from the same source.

Alternative forms

• Gallus

Noun

gallus m (genitive gallī, feminine galla); second declension

2. a Gaul, an inhabitant of Gaul
3. a Galatian

Declension

Second-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	gallus	gallī
genitive	gallī	gallōrum
dative	gallō	gallīs
accusative	gallum	gallōs
ablative	gallō	gallīs
vocative	galle	gallī

Adjective

gallus (feminine galla, neuter gallum); first/second-declension adjective

1. Gallic
2. Galatian

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	gallus	galla	gallum		gallī	gallae	galla
genitive	gallī	gallae	gallī		gallōrum	gallārum	gallōrum
dative	gallō	gallae	gallō		gallīs
accusative	gallum	gallam	gallum		gallōs	gallās	galla
ablative	gallō	gallā	gallō		gallīs
vocative	galle	galla	gallum		gallī	gallae	galla

Etymology 3

From Ancient Greek γάλλος (gállos). Considered by some ancient and modern authorities to derive from the river Gallus, due to the notion that "its water made those who drank of it mad". A connection to the similar Sumerian priests of Inanna called gala has been suggested, but evidence is lacking.

Noun

gallus m (genitive gallī); second declension

1. one of the priests of Cybele in Phrygia and Rome who wore feminine clothes and typically castrated themselves

Usage notes

• Some writers, such as Catullus, use the feminine singular galla (or feminine plural gallae, or both) instead.

Declension

Second-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	gallus	gallī
genitive	gallī	gallōrum
dative	gallō	gallīs
accusative	gallum	gallōs
ablative	gallō	gallīs
vocative	galle	gallī

References

• “gallus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “gallus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• gallus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• gallus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “gallus”, in The Perseus Project (1999) Perseus Encyclopedia‎^[1]
• “gallus”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• gallus in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[2], pre-publication website, 2005-2016
• “gallus”, in William Smith, editor (1854, 1857), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, volume 1 & 2, London: Walton and Maberly

Scots

Alternative forms

• gallous

Etymology

A corruption of gallows, used attributively.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡæləs/

Adjective

gallus (comparative mair gallus, superlative maist gallus)

1. daring; confident; cheeky.
   • 1919, Stanley J Weyman, “XIV The Manchester Men”, in The Great House:

     He’s a gallus glib chap that!

2. (obsolete) fit to be hanged; wicked; mischievous
   • 1848, Benjamin A. Baker, A Glance at New York:

     Look, what a gallus walk she's got! I've strong suspicions I'll have to get slung to her one of these days.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses:

     ’Twas murmur we did for a gallus potion would rouse a friar, I’m thinking, and he limp from leching.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)