Gael
/ɡeɪl/noun
A Scottish Gaelic or Irish person, or a speaker of a Gaelic language.
Did you know?The English word comes through Scottish and Irish historical usage from the Gaelic ethnonym, and it’s tied to a whole language family that preserved ancient Celtic speech long after much of Europe shifted to Latin-based tongues.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Celtic
Proto-Celtic
*galatis / *galno-
“A Celtic ethnonym often linked to the idea of a Celt or foreigner, though the exact prehistoric form is uncertain.”
Classical Antiquity
Latin/Greek
Galli / Galatai
“Names used by Romans and Greeks for Celtic peoples in different regions.”
Early Medieval
Old Irish
Goídel
“An Irish Gaelic-speaking person; the ethnonym of the Gaelic people.”
Middle Ages
Scottish Gaelic
Gàidheal
“A Gaelic speaker, especially in Scotland and Ireland.”
18th-19th Century
English
Gael
“A speaker of Gaelic, especially a Scottish Highlander or Irish person.”
Modern English
English
Gael
“A person belonging to the Gaelic ethnic and linguistic tradition.”