Gallus
/ˈɡæləs/noun
A Latin word meaning “rooster” or “cock,” and also a Roman surname and ethnic name.
Did you know?In Latin, *gallus* meant “rooster,” and it became so culturally loaded that later writers joked about the accidental overlap with *Gallia* (“Gaul”), a coincidence Romans themselves found irresistible.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵʰel-
“to call, shout, or cry out”
Latin
Latin
gallus
“rooster; cock”
Latin
Latin
Gallus
“a Roman family name; a Gaul”
Old French
Old French
galline
“hen, domestic fowl”
Middle English
English
gal
“a rooster or cock (dialectal/obsolete)”