Helvetii

American  

[hel-vee-shee-ahy] / hɛlˈvi ʃiˌaɪ /

plural noun

1. the ancient Celtic inhabitants of Helvetia in the time of Julius Caesar.

---

Helvetii British  

/ hɛlˈviːʃɪˌaɪ /

plural noun

1. a Celtic tribe from SW Germany who settled in Helvetia from about 200 _bc

---

Etymology

Origin of Helvetii

Borrowed into English from Latin around 1890–95

Example Sentences

When those formidable Helvetii marched out of their Alpine cantons to occupy Gallic lowlands in 58 BC, Caesar deployed geopolitics to defeat them -- seizing strategic terrain, controlling their grain supplies, and manipulating rival tribes.

From Salon • Dec. 8, 2018

His success in dealing with the Helvetii turned the eyes of all Gaul upon the conqueror.

From A Treasury of Heroes and Heroines A Record of High Endeavour and Strange Adventure from 500 B.C. to 1920 A.D. by Edwards, Clayton

The Helvetii, stimulated by the successes of the Cimbri, also sought more fertile settlements in Western Gaul, and formed an alliance with the Cimbri.

From Ancient States and Empires by Lord, John

AVENTICUM, the capital of the Helvetii; by the Germans called Wiflisburg, by the French Avenches.

From A Dialogue Concerning Oratory, Or The Causes Of Corrupt Eloquence The Works Of Cornelius Tacitus, Volume 8 (of 8); With An Essay On His Life And Genius, Notes, Supplements by Tacitus, Cornelius

During the civil wars and for some time after the death of Caesar little is heard of the Helvetii.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 3 "Helmont, Jean" to "Hernosand" by Various