Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Gallicism

Gallicism

1 9.9
A word or phrase taken from French and used in another language
  • noun
  • /ˈɡælɪsɪzəm/
  • Specialized
: galicismo
  • She explained that the term 'deja vu' is a common example of a Gallicism in English.

Examples

  • Certainly, Poe employs many Gallicisms, Latinisms, and some Germanisms.

    Academic text (1999)

  • The classical allusion, the Gallicisms, and the metaphorical turn of phrase all work to create a level of difficulty in understanding Montenegro's case.

    Academic text (1994)

  • Many English writers use Gallicisms to give their work a sophisticated flair.

  • The restaurant's menu features several Gallicisms that highlight its French inspiration.

Surface Forms

Gallicism singular
Gallicisms plural

Morphology

Gallicism = Gallic (semi-transparent) = Gallic + ism

The formation 'Gallic' + '-ism' is regular, but the base adjective 'Gallic' is relatively uncommon and the resulting noun has a specialized meaning (a French-derived word or expression), so a general learner may not infer the exact sense.

Etymology

Gallicism comes from Gallic, from the old name Gallia, meaning 'French', and the ending -ism meaning 'a thing or practice'. So, a Gallicism is a word or expression that comes from French and is used in another language.