gala

Meanings

Adjective

• Celebratory; festive.

Noun

• Pomp, show, or festivity.
• A competition
• A showy and festive party.
• A member of an androgynous class of priests of the Sumerian goddess Inanna.

Origin

• 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.) Ultimately cognate to gallant and hence probably from Frankish *wala.
• Sumerian 𒍑𒆪, cognate to Akkadian 𒍑𒆪. A connection to the similar Phrygian and Roman priests of Cybele called gallae or galli has been suggested, but evidence is lacking.