Galla

[ gal-uh ]

noun,plural Gal·las, (especially collectively) Gal·la.
  1. Offensive. Oromo.

Origin of Galla

1
First recorded in 1875–80; origin uncertain; perhaps from Amharic or from Arabic ghalīẓ “wild, rough.”

usage note For Galla

The Oromo (a nomadic, pastoral people of Ethiopia and Kenya) were formerly called Galla by other Ethiopians, and this name is common in historical texts through the early 20th century. However, Galla was never used by the Oromo themselves, and it is now considered a derogatory name for the people.

Words Nearby Galla

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How to use Galla in a sentence

  • The very day fixed for his escape he was sold to a Galla chief who lived twenty miles distant.

    The River of Darkness | William Murray Graydon

British Dictionary definitions for Galla

Galla

/ (ˈɡælə) /


noun
  1. plural -las or -la a member of a tall dark-skinned people inhabiting Somalia and SE Ethiopia

  2. the language of this people, belonging to the Cushitic subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012