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Despite their similar appearance, Latin Gallia is not the origin of French Gaule. During the evolution from Latin to French, stressed initial /ˈɡa-/ yielded /dʒa/ > /ʒa/ (cf. Latin gamba > French jambe), while unstressed final /-lia/ yielded /ʎə/ > /j/ (cf. Latin filia > French fille). Thus, the regular outcome of LatinGallia is /ʒaj/ ⟨Jaille⟩, which is attested in several French toponyms: La Jaille-Yvon, Saint-Mars-la-Jaille, etc.
From Middle EnglishGall, from LatinGallus. The change in spelling is due to the influence of the place-name Gaul, which is thought to be etymologically unrelated (see above).
Insofar as it is a pejorative word, it is of course more likely to be used of decrepit horses. However, Gaul does not in itself express such a quality. German equivalents for “nag” include Klepper, Kracke, Mähre.