Gauloise
/ɡo.lwaz/noun
A French cigarette brand, or a feminine adjective meaning “Gallic” or “from Gaul.”
Did you know?*Gauloise* comes from *Gaulois*, the French word for “Gaulish,” ultimately tied to the ancient Roman name for the Celtic peoples of Gaul, not to any mystical meaning but to a very old ethnic label.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Rome
Latin
Gallus / Gallia
“A Gaul; Gaul, the region inhabited by the Gauls.”
Late Latin
Latin
*Galliālis / *Galliānus
“Of Gaul or the Gauls.”
Old French
Old French
gaulois
“Gallic; of Gaul; a Gaulish person.”
Modern French
French
gauloise
“Feminine form of gaulois; also the name of a French cigarette brand.”