Gallia Comata
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
That part of Gaul which belonged to the Roman emperor, and was governed by legates (legati), was so called from the long hair (coma) worn by the inhabitants flowing over their shoulders.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Gallia Comata” mean?
That part of Gaul which belonged to the Roman emperor, and was governed by legates (legati), was so called from the long hair (coma) worn by the inhabitants flowing over their shoulders.
Is “Gallia Comata” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.