gell

See also: Gell and Géll

English

Etymology 1

Noun

gell (plural gells)

1. Pronunciation spelling of girl.
   • 1861, George Eliot, “Chapter 14”, in Silas Marner:

     Well, mayhap that'll do, as it's a little gell, for they're easier persuaded to sit i' one place nor the lads.

   • 1906, Edith Nesbit, The Railway Children, Chapter 4: "The engine-burglar":

     "You're a naughty little gell, that's what you are," said the fireman, and the engine-driver said:--

     "Daring little piece, I call her," but they made her sit down on an iron seat in the cab and told her to stop crying and tell them what she meant by it.

Etymology 2

Noun

gell (plural gells)

1. Alternative form of gill (“a leech”)

Breton

Noun

gell

1. Soft mutation of kell.

Adjective

gell

1. brown

See also

Colors in Breton · livioù (layout · text)

gwenn	louet	du
ruz	orañjez, melen-ruz; gell	melen
	gwer, glas
cyan		glas
	magenta; glasruz	roz

Cornish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɛlː/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Celtic *gello- (“yellow”) or *gelo- (“white”) (compare Middle Welsh gell (“yellow”), Old Irish gel (“white, fair, shining”), whence Irish geal (“white, bright”)), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (“gleam, yellow”) (compare English yellow, Ancient Greek χλωρός (khlōrós, “light green”), Latin helvus (“dull yellow”), Lithuanian žalias (“green”), Persian زر (zar, “yellow”), Sanskrit हरि (hari, “greenish-yellow”), Welsh gwelw (“pale”)).

Adjective

gell

1. light brown

Related terms

• gorm (“dark brown”)

See also

Colors in Cornish · liwyow (layout · text)

gwynn	loos, glas	du
rudh; kogh	rudhvelyn; gell, gorm	melyn
	gwyrdh, glas
		glas
glasrudh, purpur	majenta; purpur, glasrudh	gwynnrudh, kigliw

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

gell

1. Soft mutation of kell.

Mutation

  Mutation of gell  

Cornish consonant mutation
unmutated	soft	aspirate	hard	mixed	mixed after 'th
gell	ell	unchanged	kell	hell	hell

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɛl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛl

Etymology 1

From gellen.

Adjective

gell (strong nominative masculine singular geller, comparative geller, superlative am gellsten)

1. (literary) shrill

Declension

Positive forms of gell

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist gell	sie ist gell	es ist gell	sie sind gell
strong declension (without article)	nominative	geller	gelle	gelles	gelle
	genitive	gellen	geller	gellen	geller
	dative	gellem	geller	gellem	gellen
	accusative	gellen	gelle	gelles	gelle
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der gelle	die gelle	das gelle	die gellen
	genitive	des gellen	der gellen	des gellen	der gellen
	dative	dem gellen	der gellen	dem gellen	den gellen
	accusative	den gellen	die gelle	das gelle	die gellen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein geller	eine gelle	ein gelles	(keine) gellen
	genitive	eines gellen	einer gellen	eines gellen	(keiner) gellen
	dative	einem gellen	einer gellen	einem gellen	(keinen) gellen
	accusative	einen gellen	eine gelle	ein gelles	(keine) gellen

Comparative forms of gell

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist geller	sie ist geller	es ist geller	sie sind geller
strong declension (without article)	nominative	gellerer	gellere	gelleres	gellere
	genitive	gelleren	gellerer	gelleren	gellerer
	dative	gellerem	gellerer	gellerem	gelleren
	accusative	gelleren	gellere	gelleres	gellere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der gellere	die gellere	das gellere	die gelleren
	genitive	des gelleren	der gelleren	des gelleren	der gelleren
	dative	dem gelleren	der gelleren	dem gelleren	den gelleren
	accusative	den gelleren	die gellere	das gellere	die gelleren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein gellerer	eine gellere	ein gelleres	(keine) gelleren
	genitive	eines gelleren	einer gelleren	eines gelleren	(keiner) gelleren
	dative	einem gelleren	einer gelleren	einem gelleren	(keinen) gelleren
	accusative	einen gelleren	eine gellere	ein gelleres	(keine) gelleren

Superlative forms of gell

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist am gellsten	sie ist am gellsten	es ist am gellsten	sie sind am gellsten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	gellster	gellste	gellstes	gellste
	genitive	gellsten	gellster	gellsten	gellster
	dative	gellstem	gellster	gellstem	gellsten
	accusative	gellsten	gellste	gellstes	gellste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der gellste	die gellste	das gellste	die gellsten
	genitive	des gellsten	der gellsten	des gellsten	der gellsten
	dative	dem gellsten	der gellsten	dem gellsten	den gellsten
	accusative	den gellsten	die gellste	das gellste	die gellsten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein gellster	eine gellste	ein gellstes	(keine) gellsten
	genitive	eines gellsten	einer gellsten	eines gellsten	(keiner) gellsten
	dative	einem gellsten	einer gellsten	einem gellsten	(keinen) gellsten
	accusative	einen gellsten	eine gellste	ein gellstes	(keine) gellsten

Etymology 2

Clipping of gelt es, from gelten (“to be valid”).

Particle

gell

1. (colloquial, regional, Southern Germany, Switzerland, Austria, South Tyrol, Liechtenstein, Alsace) emphasis and question marker particle; asks for confirmation; right?; eh?; isn't it, innit?

   Synonyms: oder, (Chiefly Northwestern Germany) ne, (Eastern Germany) wa; see also Thesaurus:nicht wahr

   Wir gehen, gell? ― We’re going, aren’t we?

   Du verstehst mich, gell? ― You understand me, right?

Alternative forms

• gelle, gelt

Further reading

• “gell (adjective)” in Duden online
• “gell (interjection)” in Duden online
• “gell” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Icelandic

Verb

gell (strong)

1. first-person singular present indicative of gjalla

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *geldom (“pledge”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *gʰeldʰ- (compare Proto-Germanic *geldaną (“to pay”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡʲel͈/

Noun

gell n

1. pledge, surety
2. hostage
3. stake, wager

Inflection

Neuter o-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	gellN	gellN	gellL, gella
Vocative	gellN	gellN	gellL, gella
Accusative	gellN	gellN	gellL, gella
Genitive	gillL	gell	gellN
Dative	giullL	gellaib	gellaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: H = triggers aspiration L = triggers lenition N = triggers nasalization

Derived terms

• gellach
• gellaid
• forcell

Descendants

• Middle Irish: gell
  • Irish: geall
  • Scottish Gaelic: geall
• ⇒ Middle Irish: gillán

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
gell	gell pronounced with /ɣ(ʲ)-/	ngell
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “gell”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Welsh

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɛɬ/
• Rhymes: -ɛɬ

Etymology 1

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

gell

1. Soft mutation of cell.

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
cell	gell	nghell	chell
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Etymology 2

From Middle Welsh gell (“yellow”), from Proto-Celtic *gellos (“yellow”) or *gelos (“white”) (compare Old Irish gel (“white, fair, shining”)), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (“gleam, yellow”) (compare English yellow, Ancient Greek χλωρός (khlōrós, “light green”), Latin helvus (“dull yellow”), Lithuanian žalias (“green”), Persian زر (zar, “yellow”), Sanskrit हरि (hari, “greenish-yellow”)).

Adjective

gell (feminine singular gell, plural gell, equative gelled, comparative gellach, superlative gellaf)

1. bay (colour)

Derived terms

• gellgi (“a Welsh staghound”)

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
gell	ell	ngell	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “gell”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies