gallant
pronunciation
How to pronounce gallant in British English:
UK [ˈɡælənt , ɡəˈlænt]
How to pronounce gallant in American English:
US [ˈɡælənt , ɡəˈlænt]
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- Noun:
- a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance
- a man who attends or escorts a woman
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- Adjective:
- unflinching in battle or action
- lively and spirited
- having or displaying great dignity or nobility
- having the qualities of gallantry attributed to an ideal knight
Word Origin
- gallant
- gallant: [14] Gallant originated as the present participle of Old French galer ‘make merry, rejoice’. This probably came from Gallo- Romance *walāre, a derivative of Frankish *wala ‘well’ (of which English well is a relative). Following its French model, the English adjective originally meant ‘showy, splendid, gorgeous’ as well as ‘spirited, brave’ and ‘courteous, polished’ (the last of which led in the 17th century to ‘courteously attentive to women’ and ‘amorous’). Regale [17] too goes back to Old French galer.=> regale, well
- gallant (n.)
- mid-15c., "man of fashion and pleasure," earlier "dissolute man, rake" (early 15c.); from gallant (adj.). As "one who is particularly attentive to women" probably by late 15c.
- gallant (adj.)
- mid-15c., "showy, finely dressed; gay, merry," from Old French galant "courteous," earlier "amusing, entertaining; lively, bold" (14c.), present participle of galer "rejoice, make merry," which is of uncertain origin. Perhaps from a Latinized verb formed from Frankish *wala- "good, well," from Proto-Germanic *wal- (source also of Old High German wallon "to wander, go on a pilgrimage"), from PIE root *wel- (2) "to wish, will" (see will (v.)), "but the transition of sense offers difficulties that are not fully cleared up" [OED]. Sense of "politely attentive to women" was adopted early 17c. from French. Attempts to distinguish this sense by accent are an 18c. artifice.
Example
- 1. Stop performing " gallant " or " gentlemanly " activities strictly because you expect sex or affection in return .
- 2. The knights are gallant and the ladies are fair-and frequently gallant .
- 3. Those gallant men will remain often in my thoughts and my prayers , always .
- 4. The judge did not dispute the evidence but told the woman that her boss had done nothing remiss : on the contrary , he was simply being gallant .
- 5. For the government , this confirmed that he was " hellbent on betraying the gallant armed forces of sri lanka " .