gala

See also: Gala, galá, galā, galą, gaļa, gaļā, gała, Gała, gałą, gála, and γάλα

English

Etymology 1

From French gala, or directly from that word's etymon, which is either Italian gala, or Spanish gala, both meaning "festive occasion", and derived from Old French gale (“rejoicing”). (The French word likely kept the final -a to avoid homophony with gale (“scabies”).) Ultimately cognate to gallant and hence probably from Frankish *wala (“good, well”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɑːlə

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɑːlə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɡælə/, /ˈɡeɪlə/, /ˈɡɑːlə/

Adjective

gala (not comparable)

1. Celebratory; festive.

Translations

festive

• Bulgarian: празничен (prazničen), тържествен (bg) (tǎržestven)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: juhlallinen (fi)
• Georgian: სადღესასწაულო (sadɣesasc̣aulo), საზეიმო (sazeimo)
• Icelandic: hátíð (is) f

• Italian: gala (it) f
• Norwegian: galla m
• Portuguese: de gala (pt), festivo (pt)
• Russian: пра́здничный (ru) m (prázdničnyj), торже́ственный (ru) m (toržéstvennyj), парадный (ru) m (paradnyj)
• Spanish: de gala (es)

Noun

gala (plural galas)

1. (uncountable) Pomp, show, or festivity.
2. A competition

   a swimming gala

3. (countable) A showy and festive party.

Derived terms

• gala dress
• gala pie

Translations

pomp, show or festivity

• Armenian: հանդես (hy) (handes)
• Bulgarian: тържество (bg) n (tǎržestvo), празненство (bg) n (praznenstvo)
• Catalan: gala (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 典禮 (zh); 慶典 (zh)

• Finnish: gaala

• French: gala (fr) m, fête (fr) f
• Georgian: ზეიმი (zeimi), დღესასწაული (dɣesasc̣auli)
• Portuguese: gala (pt) f
• Russian: торжество́ (ru) n (toržestvó), пра́зднество (ru) n (prázdnestvo)
• Spanish: gala (es) f; fiesta (es) f
• Swedish: gala (sv)

Etymology 2

Sumerian 𒍑𒆪 (gala), cognate to Akkadian 𒍑𒆪 (kalû). A connection to the similar Phrygian and Roman priests of Cybele called gallae or galli has been suggested, but evidence is lacking.

Sumerian statuette of two galas found in the temple of Inanna at Mari.

Noun

gala (plural galas)

1. (historical) A member of an androgynous class of priests of the Sumerian goddess Inanna.
   • 2008, Uri Gabbay, The Akkadian word for "third gender" / the kalû (gala) once again, in Proceedings of the 51st Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Held at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, July 18-22, 2005 (edited by Robert D. Biggs, Jennie Myers, Martha Tobi Roth), page 50:

     (6) Some galas/kalûs are mentioned in Pre-Sargonic and Old Babylonian texts in connection with classes of women, maids, and ḫarimtu-women.

     (7) The gala is sometimes mentioned in the same context with other functionaries [...]

Anagrams

• Gaal, agal, alga

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Bambara

Noun

gala

1. dye

References

• Richard Nci Diarra, Lexique bambara-français-anglais, December 13, 2010

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Catalan

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /ˈɡa.lə/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /ˈɡa.la/

Etymology 1

From Old French gale (“pleasure”), from galer (“enjoy onself”).

Noun

gala f (plural gales)

1. pomp, display
2. gala
3. festival, dance

Derived terms

• de gala
• galejar

Related terms

• galà
• galant

Etymology 2

From Latin galla.

Noun

gala f (plural gales)

1. gall (abnormal swelling growth on a plant)

   Synonyms: agalla, ballaruc, cecidi

Further reading

• “gala” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

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Cebuano

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ga‧la

Noun

gala

1. a gala; a ball
2. money thrown to or pinned to the clothing of the wedding couple in a money dance

Anagrams

• laag, laga

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Dutch

People dressed for a Gala

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian or Spanish gala

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /ˈɣaː.laː/
• Hyphenation: ga‧la

Noun

gala n (plural gala's, diminutive galaatje n)

1. A ceremonial celebration, originally a ball (formal dance), now often a prom.
2. Formal dress.

   Synonyms: galakleding, staatsiegewaad, staatsiekleding

Derived terms

• galajurk
• galakleding
• kerstgala
• schoolgala

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Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse gala.

Verb

gala (third person singular past indicative gól, third person plural past indicative gólu, supine galið)

1. to crow (of a chicken)

Conjugation

Conjugation of gala (group v-58)
infinitive	gala
supine	galið
participle (a26)1	galandi	galin
	present	past
first singular	gali	gól
second singular	gelur	gól(st)
third singular	gelur	gól
plural	gala	gólu
	imperative
singular	gal!
plural	galið!
1Only the past participle being declined.

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French

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

• Homophones: galas, galât

Verb

gala

1. third-person singular past historic of galer

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Garo

Verb

gala

1. to throw away

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Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse gala, from Proto-Germanic *galaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkaːla/
• Rhymes: -aːla

Verb

gala (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative galaði, supine galað)
gala (strong verb, third-person singular past indicative gól, third-person plural past indicative gólum, supine galið)

1. (intransitive, of a rooster) to crow
   • Matthew 26:74 (Icelandic, English 1 and 2)

     En hann sór og sárt við lagði, að hann þekkti ekki manninn. Um leið gól hani.

     Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!" Immediately a rooster crowed.

2. (intransitive) to cry, to scream

Conjugation

Originally a strong verb, but now most usually weak; the strong conjugation is mostly archaic or poetic, and is especially rare in the present tense.

gala — active voice (germynd)

infinitive (nafnháttur)		að gala
supine (sagnbót)		galað
present participle (lýsingarháttur nútíðar)		galandi
	indicative (framsöguháttur)			subjunctive (viðtengingarháttur)
present (nútíð)	ég gala	við gölum	present (nútíð)	ég gali	við gölum
	þú galar	þið galið		þú galir	þið galið
	hann, hún, það galar	þeir, þær, þau gala		hann, hún, það gali	þeir, þær, þau gali
past (þátíð)	ég galaði	við göluðum	past (þátíð)	ég galaði	við göluðum
	þú galaðir	þið göluðuð		þú galaðir	þið göluðuð
	hann, hún, það galaði	þeir, þær, þau göluðu		hann, hún, það galaði	þeir, þær, þau göluðu
imperative (boðháttur)	gala (þú)	galið (þið)
	Forms with appended personal pronoun
	galaðu	galiði *
* Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

Synonyms

• (scream): orga

See also

• gaggalagú

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Indonesian

Etymology 1

From Sanskrit गल (gala, “neck, resin”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡala/
• Hyphenation: ga‧la

Noun

gala

1. resin
2. neck

Derived terms

• bergala-gala
• gala-gala

 

Etymology 2

From Dutch gala (“ball”), from French gala, from Spanish gala, from Old Spanish gala, from Old French gale (“rejoicing”). Ultimately cognate to gallant and hence probably from Frankish *wala (“good, well”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡala/
• Hyphenation: ga‧la

Noun

gala

1. ball

Further reading

• “gala” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI) Daring, Jakarta: Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa, Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia, 2016.

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Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɡal̪ˠə]

Noun

gala

1. nominative plural of gal

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
gala	ghala	ngala
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

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Italian

Etymology 1

From Medieval Latin, Latinized form of Frankish *wala (“good, well”), from Proto-Germanic *wal-, from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“to choose, wish”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡa.la/

Noun

gala f (plural gale)

1. bow (ornament on a dress etc)
2. bow tie (large)
3. frill, flounce, ruche (guarnizione di trine o stoffa increspata)
4. roche, ruching, ruffle

Synonyms

• frangia
• guarnitura
• frappa
• balza
• volant

Etymology 2

From Old French gale (“rejoicing”), from galer (“to rejoice”).

Noun

gala m (invariable)

1. gala
2. festivity

Synonyms

• pompa
• pompa magna
• fasto
• magnificenza
• sontuosità

Anagrams

• alga

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Kilivila

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡala/

Particle

gala

1. not

   Gala anukwali. - I do not know.

Idioms

• gala wala

Interjection

gala

1. no

Anagrams

• laga

References

• Gunter Senft (1986), Kilivila: the Language of the Trobriand Islanders. Berlin • New York • Amsterdam: Mouton de Gruyter, p. 223. →ISBN

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Latvian

Noun

gala m

1. genitive singular form of gals

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Ledo Kaili

Noun

gala

1. brass

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Manchu

Romanization

gala

1. Romanization of ᡤᠠᠯᠠ

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Maranao

Noun

gala

1. plaster, glue

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• gale (e infinitive)

Etymology

From Old Norse gala.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²ɡɑːlɑ/

Verb

gala (present tense gjel, past tense gol, supine gale, past participle galen, present participle galande, imperative gal)

1. to crow (to make the sound of a cuckoo or a rooster)

References

• “gala” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

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Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *galaną, whence also Old English galan, Old Saxon galan, Old High German galan. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰel- (“to shout, charm away”).

Verb

gala

1. to sing
2. to crow
3. to chant (spells)

Conjugation

Conjugation of gala — active (strong class 6)

infinitive	gala
present participle	galandi
past participle	galinn
indicative	present	past
1st-person singular	gel	gól
2nd-person singular	gelr	gólt
3rd-person singular	gelr	gól
1st-person plural	gǫlum	gólum
2nd-person plural	galið	góluð
3rd-person plural	gala	gólu
subjunctive	present	past
1st-person singular	gala	gœla
2nd-person singular	galir	gœlir
3rd-person singular	gali	gœli
1st-person plural	galim	gœlim
2nd-person plural	galið	gœlið
3rd-person plural	gali	gœli
imperative	present
2nd-person singular	gal
1st-person plural	gǫlum
2nd-person plural	galið

Conjugation of gala — mediopassive (strong class 6)

infinitive	galask
present participle	galandisk
past participle	galizk
indicative	present	past
1st-person singular	gǫlumk	gólumk
2nd-person singular	gelsk	gólzk
3rd-person singular	gelsk	gólsk
1st-person plural	gǫlumsk	gólumsk
2nd-person plural	galizk	góluzk
3rd-person plural	galask	gólusk
subjunctive	present	past
1st-person singular	gǫlumk	gœlumk
2nd-person singular	galisk	gœlisk
3rd-person singular	galisk	gœlisk
1st-person plural	galimsk	gœlimsk
2nd-person plural	galizk	gœlizk
3rd-person plural	galisk	gœlisk
imperative	present
2nd-person singular	galsk
1st-person plural	gǫlumsk
2nd-person plural	galizk

Related terms

• galdr
• hjala

Descendants

• Danish: gale
• Faroese: gala
• Icelandic: gala
• Norwegian Bokmål: gale
• Norwegian Nynorsk: gala
• Swedish: gala

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Old Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse gala, from Proto-Germanic *galaną.

Verb

gala

1. to sing (of birds)
2. to crow (of roosters)
3. to charm, to enchant

Conjugation

Conjugation of gala (strong)

	present			past
infinitive	gala			—
participle	galandi, galande			galin
active voice	indicative	subjunctive	imperative	indicative	subjunctive
iæk	gal	gali, gale	—	gōl	gōli, gōle
þū	gal	gali, gale	gal	gōlt	gōli, gōle
han	gal	gali, gale	—	gōl	gōli, gōle
vīr	galum, galom	galum, galom	galum, galom	gōlum, gōlom	gōlum, gōlom
īr	galin	galin	galin	gōlin	gōlin
þēr	gala	galin	—	gōlu, -o	gōlin
mediopassive voice	indicative	subjunctive	imperative	indicative	subjunctive
iæk	—	—	—	—	—
þū	—	—	—	—	—
han	—	—	—	—	—
vīr	—	—	—	—	—
īr	—	—	—	—	—
þēr	—	—	—	—	—

Descendants

• Swedish: gala

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Polish

Etymology

From French gala, from Italian gala.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡa.la/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

gala f

1. gala (showy and festive party)
2. costume for gala, formal dress

Declension

declension of gala

	singular	plural
nominative	gala	gale
genitive	gali	gali/gal
dative	gali	galom
accusative	galę	gale
instrumental	galą	galami
locative	gali	galach
vocative	galo	gale

Derived terms

• (adjective) galowy

Related terms

• (adverb) galowo

Further reading

• gala in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• gala in Polish dictionaries at PWN

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Portuguese

Etymology

From Italian gala

Noun

gala f (plural galas)

1. gala (showy and festive party)

Verb

gala

1. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present indicative of galar
2. second-person singular (tu, sometimes used with você) affirmative imperative of galar

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Sidamo

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡala/

Verb

gala

1. (intransitive) to stay the night

References

• Kazuhiro Kawachi (2007) A grammar of Sidaama (Sidamo), a Cushitic language of Ethiopia, page 30

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Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡala/, [ˈɡa.la]

Etymology 1

From Latin Gallus (“Gaulish”).

Adjective

gala

1. feminine singular of galo

Etymology 2

From Old French gale (“rejoicing”), from galer (“to enjoy oneself”). Ultimately cognate to gallant and hence probably from Frankish *wala (“good, well”).

Noun

gala f (plural galas)

1. gala
2. elegant dress, male clothes, specially those used in a gala

Derived terms

• hacer gala
• llevar a gala
• tener a gala

 

Anagrams

• alga

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Swedish

Etymology 1

From Italian or Spanish gala

Noun

gala c

1. gala; festival

Declension

Declension of gala
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	gala	galan	galor	galorna
Genitive	galas	galans	galors	galornas

Derived terms

Derived terms

• galamiddag
• insamlingsgala
• popgala

• rockgala
• tv-gala

Etymology 2

From Old Swedish gala, from Old Norse gala, from Proto-Germanic *galaną.

Verb

gala (present gal, preterite gol, supine galit, imperative gal)

1. to crow; to make a sound characteristic of a rooster

   förrän hanen har galit ... Och i detsamma gol hanen ... Förrän hanen gal

   before the cock crow ... And immediately the cock crew ... Before the cock crow (Matthew 26:34, 74, 75)

Conjugation

Conjugation of gala (class 6 strong)

	Active		Passive
Infinitive	gala		—
Supine	galit		—
Imperative	gal		—
	Present	Past	Present	Past
Indicative	gal	gol	—	—
Indicative plural1	gala	golo	—	—
Subjunctive2	gale	gole	—	—
	Participles
Present participle	galande
Past participle	galen
1 Archaic. 2 Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.

Derived terms

• galning
• gola
• hanegäll

Anagrams

• laga

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Tagalog

Noun

galà

1. (colloquial) wandering around; travelling around

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Welsh

Noun

gala

1. Soft mutation of cala.

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
cala	gala	nghala	chala
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.