where do the names france and england come from
Name of France
Before being named France , the land was called Gaul ( Latin : Gallia ; French : Gaule ) . This name continued to be used even after the beginning of the reign of the Franks ' Kings Clovis I , Charles Martel , Pepin the Short , and Charlemagne . In fact , for as long as the cultural elites of Europe used Latin predominantly , the name Gallia continued to be used alongside the name France . In English usage , the words Gaul and Gaulish are used synonymously with Latin Gallia , Gallus and Gallicus . However the similarity of the names is probably coincidental ; the English words are borrowed from French Gaule and Gaulois , which appear to have been borrowed themselves from Germanic walha - , the usual word for the non-Germanic - speaking peoples ( Celtic - speaking and Latin - speaking indiscriminately ) . The Germanic w is regularly rendered as gu / g in French ( cf . guerre = war , garder = ward ) , and the diphthong au is the regular outcome of al before a following consonant ( cf . cheval ~ chevaux ) . Gaule or Gaulle can hardly be derived from Latin Gallia , since g would become j before a ( cf . gamba > jambe ) , and the diphthong au would be incomprehensible ; the regular outcome of Latin Gallia would have been * Jaille in French. ( 3 ) ( 4 )
Before being named France , the land was called Gaul ( Latin : Gallia ; French : Gaule ) . This name continued to be used even after the beginning of the reign of the Franks ' Kings Clovis I , Charles Martel , Pepin the Short , and Charlemagne . In fact , for as long as the cultural elites of Europe used Latin predominantly , the name Gallia continued to be used alongside the name France . In English usage , the words Gaul and Gaulish are used synonymously with Latin Gallia , Gallus and Gallicus . However the similarity of the names is probably coincidental ; the English words are borrowed from French Gaule and Gaulois , which appear to have been borrowed themselves from Germanic walha - , the usual word for the non-Germanic - speaking peoples ( Celtic - speaking and Latin - speaking indiscriminately ) . The Germanic w is regularly rendered as gu / g in French ( cf . guerre = war , garder = ward ) , and the diphthong au is the regular outcome of al before a following consonant ( cf . cheval ~ chevaux ) . Gaule or Gaulle can hardly be derived from Latin Gallia , since g would become j before a ( cf . gamba > jambe ) , and the diphthong au would be incomprehensible ; the regular outcome of Latin Gallia would have been * Jaille in French. ( 3 ) ( 4 )