gabelle

[ guh-bel ]

/ gəˈbɛl /

a tax; excise.

French History. a tax on salt, abolished in 1790.

Origin of gabelle

1375–1425; Middle English gabul, gabel (probably confused with gavel²) < Middle French < Italian gabella < Arabic gabālah tax, receipt

ga·belled, adjective

gabbai, gabble, gabbro, gabby, gabe, gabelle, gaberdine, gaberlunzie, gaberones, gabfest, gabion

Lastly, and more important than all, the duke made no attempt to revive the demand for the gabelle—salt was left free and untaxed.

Charles the Bold |Ruth Putnam
The Latin form of the word is gabellum, and the French gabelle.

Notes and Queries, Number 218, December 31, 1853 |Various
Some provinces are allowed to compound for the gabelle, or salt tax; others are exempted from it altogether.

An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations |Adam Smith
The Gabelle, which led to several rebellions, was not abolished until the Revolution .

The Life of Joan of Arc, Vol. 1 and 2 (of 2) |Anatole France

Nothing but the production of the afflicted Gabelle's letter from his prison of the Abbaye would have got him on so far.

A Tale of Two Cities |Charles Dickens

gabelle

/ (ɡæˈbɛl) /

French history a salt tax levied until 1790

gabelled, adjective

C15: from Old Italian gabella, from Arabic qabālah tribute, from qabala he received