gala, noun

/ˈɡɑːlə/
Origin:
English, British EnglishShow more Transferred use of general English gala a festive occasion; also used in British English (though less commonly) of a swimming contest.
Especially with reference to schools: a swimming contest or meeting. Also attributive.
Note:
This is the primary sense of ‘gala’ in South African English.
1957 F.H. Keyser in Pietersburg Eng. Medium School Mag. 44As a result of having no swimming bath, it has been difficult to organise galas against other schools.
1960 Capricorn High School Mag. (Pietersburg) 34The twenty-seven gala events took place without snag or difficulty, and the team events, particularly, produced a great deal of excitement.
1963 L.F. Freed Crime in S. Afr. 98A group of 200..children,..returning from a swimming gala at Ellis Park.
1974 J.J. Redgrave Collegiate School for Girls, Port Elizabeth 1874–1974 104The Port Elizabeth Ladies Swimming Club was founded and held its first Swimming Gala in about 1910...At the next Gala the Collegiate carried off both the cups.
1984 Diocesan School for Girls Mag. (Grahamstown) 60The swimming season started with a splash. We swam in 5 main galas in all...Our School Gala was a mammoth 5 day event, the first attempt being rained out. The second attempt, the actual day of the gala, ended shortly after we had managed to swim back to our houses.
1992 Argus 20 Feb. 2Queens College is to have an Olympic-sized swimming pool with facilities for galas, water polo and diving.
a swimming contest or meeting. Also attributive.
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19571992

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English
Gaika, nounn.galjoen, nounn.
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