They are mentioned as Caletes (var. Caletos, Cadetes) by Caesar (mid-1st c. BC),[1]asKáletoi (Κάλετοι) and Kalétous (Καλέτους) by Strabo (early 1st c. AD),[2]asGaletos (var. Galletos) by Pliny (1st c. AD),[3]asKalē̃tai (Καλη̃ται) by Ptolemy (2nd c. AD),[4] and as CaletibyOrosius (early 5th c. AD).[5][6]
The GaulishethnonymCaletoi literally means 'the hard ones', that is to say 'the stubborn' or 'the tough'. It derives from the Proto-Celtic stem *kaleto- ('hard, cruel, strong'; cf. Old Irishcalath 'heroic',Middle Welshcaled 'hard'), itself from Proto-Indo-European*ḱelto-, meaning 'cold' (cf. Avest.sarǝta- 'cold', OEng.haeled 'hero', Lat.callēre 'to be hardened [by the experience], insensible').[7]
The Pays de Caux, attested in 843 as Pago Calcis (Kaleto in 1206), is named after the Gallic tribe.[8][9]
The territory of the Calates closely corresponded to the Pays de Caux.[8] They dwelled north of the neighbouring Veliocasses, and were separated from the Ambiani in the northeast by a minor tribe, the Catoslugi.[9]
Whether the Catales should be regarded as GallicorBelgic is debatable.[9] Caesar appears to attribute them to Belgica, their coins were of Belgic type, and they joined the Belgic opposition to Rome 57 BC. But, elsewhere, Caesar lists them along Armorican peoples, and they were not, unless briefly, part of the province of Gallia Belgica under the Roman Empire.[9]
Busse, Peter E. (2006). "Belgae". In Koch, John T. (ed.). Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. pp. 195–200. ISBN978-1-85109-440-0.
Delamarre, Xavier (2003). Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental. Errance. ISBN9782877723695.
Falileyev, Alexander (2010). Dictionary of Continental Celtic Place-names: A Celtic Companion to the Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. CMCS. ISBN978-0955718236.
