*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of gale

From Middle English galen, from Old English galan (“to sing, enchant, call, cry, scream; sing charms, practice incantation”), from Proto-Germanic *galaną (“to roop, sing, charm”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰel- (“to sho

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 4 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
verb

To cry; groan; croak. · To talk. · To sing; utter with musical modulations.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English galen, from Old English galan (“to sing, enchant, call, cry, scream; sing charms, practice incantation”), from Proto-Germanic *galaną (“to roop, sing, charm”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰel- (“to shout, scream, charm away”). Cognate with Danish gale (“to crow”), Swedish gala (“to crow”), Icelandic gala (“to sing, chant, crow”), Dutch galm (“echo, sound, noise”). Related to yell.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Root classification mention*gʰel-ine-pro
  • Inherited-form mentiongalenenm
  • Inherited-form mentiongalanang
  • Inherited-form mention*galanągem-pro
  • Derivation mention*gʰel-ine-pro
  • Cognate mentiongaleda
  • Cognate mentiongalasv
  • Cognate mentiongalais
  • Cognate mentiongalmnl
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*gʰel-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "galen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English galen"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "galan",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to sing, enchant, call, cry, scream; sing charms, practice incantation"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English galan (“to sing, enchant, call, cry, scream; sing charms, practice incantation”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*galaną",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to roop, sing, charm"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *galaną (“to roop, sing, charm”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*gʰel-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to shout, scream, charm away"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *gʰel- (“to shout, scream, charm away”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "gale",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to crow"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish gale (“to crow”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "gala",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to crow"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish gala (“to crow”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "gala",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to sing, chant, crow"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic gala (“to sing, chant, crow”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "galm",
        "3": "",
        "4": "echo, sound, noise"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch galm (“echo, sound, noise”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "galen",
      "galen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "galan",
      "galan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*galaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/galaną"
    ],
    [
      "*gʰel-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/gʰel-"
    ],
    [
      "gale",
      "gale#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "gala",
      "gala#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "gala",
      "gala#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "galm",
      "galm#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "yell",
      "yell#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To cry; groan; croak.",
        "To talk.",
        "To sing; utter with musical modulations."
      ],
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        "dialectal",
        "intransitive",
        "transitive"
      ],
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A very strong wind, more than a breeze, less than a storm; number 7 through to 9 winds on the 12-step Beaufort scale. · An outburst, especially of laughter. · A light breeze.

verb

To sail, or sail fast.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English gale (“a wind, breeze”), possibly from Old English galan, possibly an unknown North Germanic origin, related to Icelandic gola (“a breeze”), Danish gal (“furious, mad”), both from Old Norse gala (“to sing”), and thus ultimately related to the above word (etymology 1).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Root classification mention*gʰel-ine-pro
  • Derivation mentiongaleenm
  • Inherited-form mentiongalanang
  • Cognate mentiongolais
  • Cognate mentiongalda
  • Derivation mentiongalanon
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*gʰel-"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "gale",
        "4": "",
        "5": "a wind, breeze"
      },
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    },
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      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "galan",
        "4": "",
        "5": ""
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmq"
      },
      "expansion": "North Germanic"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "gola",
        "3": "",
        "4": "a breeze"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic gola (“a breeze”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "gal",
        "3": "",
        "4": "furious, mad"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish gal (“furious, mad”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "gala",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to sing"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse gala (“to sing”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "gale",
      "gale#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "galan",
      "galan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "gola",
      "gola#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "gal",
      "gal#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "gala",
      "gala#Old_Norse"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A very strong wind, more than a breeze, less than a storm; number 7 through to 9 winds on the 12-step Beaufort scale.",
        "An outburst, especially of laughter.",
        "A light breeze."
      ],
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      "glosses": [
        "To sail, or sail fast."
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

A shrub, also called sweet gale or bog myrtle (Myrica gale), that grows on moors and fens.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English gaile, gawl, gawwyl, gaȝel, gagel, from Old English gagel, gagelle, gagille, gagolle (“gale; sweet gale”), from Proto-West Germanic *gagul, from Proto-Germanic *gagulaz (“gale; sweet-willow”). Cognate with Scots gaul, gall (“bog-myrtle”), Dutch gagel (“wild myrtle”), German Gagel (“myrtle-bush”), Icelandic gaglviður (“sweet-gale; myrtle”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentiongaileenm
  • Inherited-form mentiongagelang
  • Inherited-form mention*gagulgmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*gagulazgem-pro · gale; sweet-willow
  • Cognate mentiongaulsco
  • Cognate mentiongagelnl · wild myrtle
  • Cognate mentionGagelde · myrtle-bush
  • Cognate mentiongaglviðuris · sweet-gale; myrtle
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "3": "gaile"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
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      },
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    },
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    },
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    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "sco",
        "2": "gaul"
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    },
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      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "gagel",
        "t": "wild myrtle"
      },
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    },
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      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Gagel",
        "t": "myrtle-bush"
      },
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    },
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      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "gaglviður",
        "t": "sweet-gale; myrtle"
      },
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    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "gaile",
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    ],
    [
      "gawl",
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    ],
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      "gawwyl",
      "gawwyl#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "gaȝel",
      "gaȝel#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "gagel",
      "gagel#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "gagel",
      "gagel#Old_English"
    ],
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      "gagelle",
      "gagelle#Old_English"
    ],
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    ],
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    ],
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      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/gagul"
    ],
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      "*gagulaz",
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    ],
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      "gaul",
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    ],
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      "gall",
      "gall#Scots"
    ],
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      "gagel#Dutch"
    ],
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      "Gagel",
      "Gagel#German"
    ],
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      "gaglviður#Icelandic"
    ]
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
noun

A periodic payment, such as is made of a rent or annuity. · The personal mining plot of a freeminer.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English gavel (“rent; tribute”), from Old English gafol.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentiongavelenm
  • Inherited-form mentiongafolang
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "3": "gavel",
        "4": "",
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      },
      "expansion": "Middle English gavel (“rent; tribute”)"
    },
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  ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for gale →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-Z2FsZQ