γάλας

Ancient Greek

Etymology

The entry by Beekes in his Etymological Dictionary of Greek reads (in paraphrase):

"Unknown. According to Belardi, the word is from the Mediterranean substrate."

Compare Italian galestro (“marl”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ˈɣa.las/ → /ˈɣa.las/

• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈɣa.las/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈɣa.las/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈɣa.las/

Noun

γάλας • (gálas)

1. (hapax) (According to Hesychius of Alexandria:) earth

   Synonym: γῆ (gê)

   • [5th c. C.E., Hesychius of Alexandria, Γλώσσαι, Γ:

     γάλας· γῆ, παρὰ Εὐκλίτῳ

     gálas; gê, parà Euklítōi

     gálas: earth, in Euclitus]

Further reading

• “γάλας”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• γάλας in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “γάλας”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 256
• Hesychius' Lexicon: γ