gala
Pomp, show, or festivityPomp, show, or festivity.
» Are you going to the gala?
Meaning
5 senses(uncountable)Pomp, show, or festivity.
торжество́toržestvó, пра́зднествоprázdnestvo
a gay festivity
A competition.
a swimming gala
(countable)A showy and festive party.
A red-skinned variety of eating apple.
(historical)A member of an androgynous class of priests of the Sumerian goddess Inanna.
Examples
11 sentencesAre you going to the gala?
The gala dinner is at 10 p.m.
I will not be attending the gala.
Shall we prepare for the evening's gala?
Will you wear dress shoes to the gala?
Translations
4 languagesBy meaning 1
Origin
From French gala, or directly from that word's etymon, which is either Italian gala, or SpFrom 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”).
Learned borrowing from Sumerian 𒍑𒆪 (gala), related 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.
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Forms
plural: galas / galaSynonyms
3 synonyms- a gay festivity:gala affairjamboreeblowout
Word family
7 related wordsLessons for this word
2 lessons- A1Plural nouns — Because its plural is irregular
- A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable