An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Gelte

by Friedrich Kluge

Gelte, f., ‘pail, bucket, vessel,’ from MidHG. gęlte, OHG. gęllita, f., ‘vessel for liquids’; adopted in the OHG. period from MidLat. galêta, with which are also connected the Romance cognates — Fr. jale, ‘pail,’ Ital. galea, galeotta, Fr. galiasse, galion, applied to different kinds of ships. The ultimate source of the cognates is obscure.