gale

See also: Appendix:Variations of "gale"

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡeɪl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪl
• Homophone: Gail

Etymology 1

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.

Verb

gale (third-person singular simple present gales, present participle galing, simple past galed or gole, past participle galed or gole or galen)

1. (intransitive, now chiefly dialectal) To cry; groan; croak.
2. (intransitive, of a person, now chiefly dialectal) To talk.
3. (transitive, now chiefly dialectal) To sing; utter with musical modulations.

Etymology 2

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).

Noun

gale (plural gales)

2. (meteorology) A very strong wind, more than a breeze, less than a storm; number 7 through to 9 winds on the 12-step Beaufort scale.

   It's blowing a gale outside.

   Many parts of the boat were damaged in the gale.

   • 1927-29, M.K. Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, translated 1940 by Mahadev Desai, Part I, Chapter xii:

     With my mother's permission and blessings, I set off exultantly for Bombay, leaving my wife with a baby of a few months. But on arrival there, friends told my brother that the Indian Ocean was rough in June and July, and as this was my first voyage, I should not be allowed to sail until November. Someone also reported that a steamer had just been sunk in a gale. This made my brother uneasy, and he refused to take the risk of allowing me to sail immediately.

   • 2026 January 7, 'Mystery Shopper', “Cornish cream - without the jams?”, in RAIL, number 1052, page 48:

     It's blowing a gale and this holiday destination loses all its appeal in an instant in weather like this.

3. An outburst, especially of laughter.

   a gale of laughter

   • 1972, International Association of Seed Crushers, Congress [proceedings]:

     The slightest hint of smugness would have had the nation leaning over our shoulders to blow out the birthday candles with a gale of reproach and disapproval.

4. (literary, archaic) A light breeze.
   • c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:

     A little gale will soon disperse that cloud.

   • 1671, John Milton, “The Second Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC:

     And winds of gentlest gale Arabian odours fanned / From their soft wings.

Coordinate terms

• (meteorology): breeze, hurricane, storm

Derived terms

• bang like a dunny door in a gale
• gale force
• galelike
• galeproof
• near gale
• nightingale
• Schumpeter's gale
• severe gale
• strong gale
• whole gale

Translations

meteorology: a very strong wind

• Bulgarian: вихър (bg) m (vihǎr), буря (bg) f (burja)
• Catalan: vendaval (ca) m, ventada (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 強風 / 强风 (zh) (qiángfēng)

• Czech: vichřice (cs) f
• Danish: kuling
• Dutch: storm (nl) m, rukwind (nl) m
• Esperanto: ventego, burasko
• Finnish: myrskyinen tuuli, puhuri (fi)
• French: coup de vent m
• Galician: galerna f, vendaval (gl) m, noada f
• Georgian: ძლიერი ქარი (ʒlieri kari), გრიგალი (grigali), ქარიშხალი (karišxali)
• German: Sturm (de) m
• Greek:

  Ancient Greek: ἀήτης m (aḗtēs)

• Hebrew: סְעָרָה (he) f (se'arà)
• Irish: gála m
• Italian: folata (it) f, ventata (it) f, fortunale (it) m, burrasca (it) f, vento forte, brezza (it) f
• Japanese: 強風 (ja) (きょうふう, kyōfū)
• Korean: 강풍(強風) (ko) (gangpung)
• Latin: procella f
• Latvian: auka (lv) f
• Macedonian: бу́ра f (búra)
• Malay: badai (ms)
• Māori: kawaru, tūpuhi, pārerarera, paraawa, āwhā
• Norman: dgêle f (Jersey), taompette f (Guernsey)
• Norwegian: kuling
• Polish: wichura (pl) f, wicher (pl) m
• Portuguese: ventania (pt) f, vendaval (pt)
• Russian: бу́ря (ru) f (búrja), шторм (ru) m (štorm), поры́в ве́тра m (porýv vétra)
• Spanish: ventolera f, ventarrón (es) m, vendaval (es) m
• Swedish: kuling (sv)
• Vietnamese: bão tố (vi) (暴𩘣)
• Woiwurrung: boolootò moonmot

outburst of laughter

• Bulgarian: взрив (bg) m (vzriv), изблик (bg) m (izblik)
• Czech: výbuch smíchu
• Finnish: naurunpuuska, pyrskähdys (fi)
• Georgian: ხარხარი (xarxari), გაცინება (gacineba)
• Italian: esplosione (it) f, scoppio (it) m
• Polish: wybuch (pl) m
• Russian: взрыв (ru) m (vzryv), при́ступ (ru) m (prístup), вспы́шка (ru) f (vspýška)
• Serbo-Croatian: napadaj (sh) m, (idiom "prasnuti u smijeh") prasnuti (sh)

See also

• Beaufort scale

Verb

gale (third-person singular simple present gales, present participle galing, simple past and past participle galed)

1. (nautical) To sail, or sail fast.

Etymology 3

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”).

Noun

gale

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

Translations

Myrica gale

• Bulgarian: блатиста мирта f (blatista mirta)
• Catalan: murta de Brabant f
• Danish: mosepors c, pors (da) c, porse c
• Dutch: wilde gagel (nl) m
• Estonian: harilik porss
• Faroese: porsrunnur m
• Finnish: suomyrtti (fi)
• French: piment royal (fr) m, myrte des marais m, bois-sent-bon m
• Galician: frundo m, frundiño m
• German: Gagel m, Gagelstrauch m
• Hungarian: fenyérmirtusz (hu)
• Icelandic: mjaðarlyng n, bruggbuski m
• Irish: raideog f
• Italian: mirto di palude m, mirica dolce f
• Lithuanian: pajūrinis sotvaras m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: pors m

• Old Norse: pors m
• Polish: woskownica f
• Portuguese: samouco-do-brabante m, frundinho (pt) m
• Russian: воско́вник (ru) m (voskóvnik)
• Scottish Gaelic: roid f
• Spanish: mirto de Brabante m, mirto de turbera m
• Swedish: pors (sv) c
• Welsh: helygen Mair f, gwyrddling m, madywydd m

Etymology 4

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

Noun

gale (plural gales)

1. (archaic) A periodic payment, such as is made of a rent or annuity.

   Gale day - the day on which rent or interest is due.

2. The personal mining plot of a freeminer.
   • 1875, The Sanitary Record, volume 3, page 384:

     As a rule the free miners do not work their own 'gales,' but dispose of them to capitalists.

Related terms

• galeage
• galee

References

• “gale”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Gael, Lega, egal, geal, lage, leag

Afar

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡaˈle/ [ɡʌˈlɛ]
• Hyphenation: ga‧le

Noun

galé f

1. corner

Declension

Declension of galé
absolutive	galé
predicative	galé
subjective	galé
genitive	galé
Postpositioned forms l-case galél k-case galék t-case galét h-case galéh

References

• E. M. Parker; R. J. Hayward (1985), “gale”, in An Afar-English-French dictionary (with Grammatical Notes in English), University of London, →ISBN

Awtuw

Noun

gale

1. fish

   Nan gale tek-nak-ey po.

   We've been catching fish.

References

• Harry Feldman. A Grammar of Awtuw. (Pacific Linguistics: Series B, 94.) (1986)

Basque

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡale/ [ɡa.le]
• Rhymes: -ale, -e
• Hyphenation: ga‧le

Adjective

gale (comparative galeago, superlative galeen, excessive galeegi)

1. wanting

Declension

Declension of gale (adjective V-stem)

		indefinite	singular	plural	proximal plural
absolutive		gale	galea	galeak	galeok
ergative		galek	galeak	galeek	galeok
dative		galeri	galeari	galeei	galeoi
genitive		galeren	galearen	galeen	galeon
comitative		galerekin	galearekin	galeekin	galeokin
causative		galerengatik	galearengatik	galeengatik	galeongatik
benefactive		galerentzat	galearentzat	galeentzat	galeontzat
instrumental		galez	galeaz	galeez	galeotaz
inessive	anim.	galerengan	galearengan	galeengan	galeongan
	inan.	galetan	galean	galeetan	galeotan
locative	anim.	—	—	—	—
	inan.	galetako	galeko	galeetako	galeotako
allative	anim.	galerengana	galearengana	galeengana	galeongana
	inan.	galetara	galera	galeetara	galeotara
terminative	anim.	galerenganaino	galearenganaino	galeenganaino	galeonganaino
	inan.	galetaraino	galeraino	galeetaraino	galeotaraino
directive	anim.	galerenganantz	galearenganantz	galeenganantz	galeonganantz
	inan.	galetarantz	galerantz	galeetarantz	galeotarantz
destinative	anim.	galerenganako	galearenganako	galeenganako	galeonganako
	inan.	galetarako	galerako	galeetarako	galeotarako
ablative	anim.	galerengandik	galearengandik	galeengandik	galeongandik
	inan.	galetatik	galetik	galeetatik	galeotatik
partitive		galerik	—	—	—
prolative		galetzat	—	—	—

Noun

gale inan

1. eagerness, wish

Declension

Declension of gale (inan V-stem)

	indefinite	singular	plural	proximal plural
absolutive	gale	galea	galeak	galeok
ergative	galek	galeak	galeek	galeok
dative	galeri	galeari	galeei	galeoi
genitive	galeren	galearen	galeen	galeon
comitative	galerekin	galearekin	galeekin	galeokin
causative	galerengatik	galearengatik	galeengatik	galeongatik
benefactive	galerentzat	galearentzat	galeentzat	galeontzat
instrumental	galez	galeaz	galeez	galeotaz
inessive	galetan	galean	galeetan	galeotan
locative	galetako	galeko	galeetako	galeotako
allative	galetara	galera	galeetara	galeotara
terminative	galetaraino	galeraino	galeetaraino	galeotaraino
directive	galetarantz	galerantz	galeetarantz	galeotarantz
destinative	galetarako	galerako	galeetarako	galeotarako
ablative	galetatik	galetik	galeetatik	galeotatik
partitive	galerik	—	—	—
prolative	galetzat	—	—	—

Chavacano

Etymology

Borrowed from Hiligaynon gali.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡaˈleʔ/, [ɡaˈleʔ]

Particle

galê

1. (Cotabateño, Zamboangueño) expressing sudden realization; indication of surprise.

   Synonym: (Caviteño, Ternateño) pala

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡaːlə/, [ˈɡ̊æːlə]

Etymology 1

From Old Norse gala (“to sing, crow, chant”), from Proto-Germanic *galaną, cognate with Norwegian gale, Swedish gala, English gale.

Verb

gale (past tense galede, or (archaic) gol, past participle galet)

1. to crow (mostly of the sound of the cock)
2. to scream

Conjugation

Conjugation of gale

active passive present galer gales past galede or (archaic) gol — infinitive gale gales imperative gal — participle present galende past galet (auxiliary verb have) gerund galen

References

• “gale” in Den Danske Ordbog

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Adjective

gale

1. definite singular of gal
2. plural of gal

French

Etymology

Variant of galle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡal/

• Audio (Paris):

  (file)

• Audio (Canada (Shawinigan)):

  (file)

• Audio (France):

  (file)

Noun

gale f (plural gales)

1. scabies; mange

Derived terms

• galeux

Further reading

• “gale”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Anagrams

• égal, Gaël, gela

Galician

Verb

gale

1. inflection of galar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from English gale, from Middle English gale (“a wind, breeze”)

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈɡale/ [ˈɡa.le]
• Rhymes: -ale
• Syllabification: ga‧le

Noun

gale (plural gale-gale)

1. (meteorology) gale

Further reading

• “gale”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Italian

Noun

gale f

1. plural of gala

Anagrams

• Gela, Lega, gela, lega

Lithuanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɐˈlʲɛ/

Noun

galè m

1. locative singular of galas

North Moluccan Malay

Alternative forms

• bagale
• gali

Etymology

From Malay gali, from earlier kali, from Proto-Malayic *kali, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kali, from Proto-Austronesian *kalih.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡalɛ/
• Hyphenation: ga‧le

Verb

gale

1. (transitive) to dig

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Old Norse gala.

Verb

gale (imperative gal, present tense galer, simple past gol or galte, past participle galt)

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

Etymology 2

Adjective

gale

1. definite singular of gal
2. plural of gal

References

• “gale” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

Verb

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

1. alternative form of gala

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

• galent

Adjective

gale

1. neuter singular of galen

Anagrams

• alge, egal, egla, lage, lega

Old English

Verb

gale

1. first-person singular present indicative of galan

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡa.lɛ/
• Rhymes: -alɛ
• Syllabification: ga‧le
• Homophones: Gale, galę

Noun

gale

1. dative/locative singular of gała

Noun

gale

1. nominative/accusative/vocative plural of gala

Portuguese

Verb

gale

1. inflection of galar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Swedish

Etymology

Unknown. Possibly from gull.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡaːlɛ/

Noun

gale c

1. (colloquial, Öckerö Municipality) synonym of trut (“large gull”)

References

• Erik Magnusson Petzell (1 March 2018), “Gale/galle”, in Dialektbloggen‎^[1] (in Swedish), Swedish Institute for Language and Folklore

Turkish

Etymology 1

Unknown

Noun

gale (definite accusative galeyi, plural galeler)

1. (Antalya) synonym of sincap (“squirrel”)

References

• Çağbayır, Yaşar (2007), “gale¹”, in Ötüken Türkçe Sözlük (in Turkish), volume 2, Istanbul: Ötüken Neşriyat, page 1633

Etymology 2

Noun

gale (definite accusative galeyi, plural galeler)

1. (dialect) alternative form of kale

References

• Çağbayır, Yaşar (2007), “gale²”, in Ötüken Türkçe Sözlük (in Turkish), volume 2, Istanbul: Ötüken Neşriyat, page 1633

Etymology 3

From Ottoman Turkish غاله (gale), from French galée.

Noun

gale (definite accusative galeyi, plural galeler)

1. (printing) galley

References

• Çağbayır, Yaşar (2007), “gale⁶”, in Ötüken Türkçe Sözlük (in Turkish), volume 2, Istanbul: Ötüken Neşriyat, page 1633
• Avery, Robert et al., editors (2013), The Redhouse Dictionary Turkish/Ottoman English, 21st edition, Istanbul: Sev Yayıncılık, →ISBN