Galla

American  

[gal-uh] / ˈgæl ə /

noun

plural

Gallas,

plural

Galla

1. Offensive. Oromo.

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Galla British  

/ ˈɡælə /

noun

1. 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

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Sensitive Note

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.

Etymology

Origin of Galla

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

Example Sentences

Ms. Galla, who has won Olympic gold three times for cross-country skiing, took second in the competition behind YouTuber Hampus Hedström.

From Washington Times • May 29, 2023

Farther west, in Schwerin, Germany, Marina Galla, a computer science teacher who left Mariupol with her 13-year-old son in late March, has found relief and stability.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 21, 2022

Galla, who used to go out with one of the teams every day, knows exactly how he got sick.

From Time • Oct. 2, 2014

“Chris is always in the right place at the right time, and that’s not a luck thing,” Dave Galla, one of Drury’s Trumbull teammates, told me when I wrote an article about them.

From New York Times • Aug. 22, 2011

The serpent is a special object of worship, the northern Galla believing that he is the author of the human race.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 4 "G" to "Gaskell, Elizabeth" by Various