γαστήρ

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Traditionally derived from a dissimilation of an unattested earlier *γρᾰστήρ (*grăstḗr, “devourer”), from γρᾰ́ω (grắō, “to gnaw, eat”) +‎ -τήρ (-tḗr, agent noun suffix). If so, Sanskrit ग्रस्तर् (grastar, “(astronomy) eclipser (originally "devourer")”) would be an exact cognate; for a semantic parallel to the Sanskrit term, compare Chinese 蝕 / 蚀 (shí, “to corrode, eclipse”), which is derived from 食 (shí, “to eat”).

However, Beekes is skeptical of the semantics (it is somewhat of a stretch to consider the belly as an "eater"), and tentatively prefers a derivation from *gnt-tēr, with *-tt- > -st-, comparing γέντα (génta, “intestines”) (which itself is of unclear origin).^[1]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ɡas.tɛ̌ːr/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ɡasˈte̝r/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ɣasˈtir/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ɣasˈtir/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ɣasˈtir/

Noun

γᾰστήρ • (găstḗr) f (genitive γᾰστέρος or γᾰστρός); third declension

paunch, belly, hollow, wide part
- 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 13.372:
  […]· οὐδ᾽ ἤρκεσε θώρηξ χάλκεος, ὃν φορέεσκε, μέσῃ δ᾽ ἐν γαστέρι πῆξε.
  […]; oud’ ḗrkese thṓrēx khálkeos, hòn phoréeske, mésēi d’ en gastéri pêxe.
1. belly (for craving food); gluttony
  - 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 6.133:
    […]· κέλεται δέ ἑ γαστὴρ μήλων πειρήσοντα καὶ ἐς πυκινὸν δόμον ἐλθεῖν· […]
    […]; kéletai dé he gastḕr mḗlōn peirḗsonta kaì es pukinòn dómon eltheîn; […]
  - 750 BCE – 650 BCE, Hesiod, Theogony 26:
    […]· ποιμένες ἄγραυλοι, κάκ᾽ ἐλέγχεα, γαστέρες οἶον, ἴδμεν ψεύδεα πολλὰ λέγειν ἐτύμοισιν ὁμοῖα, […]
    […]; poiménes ágrauloi, kák’ elénkhea, gastéres oîon, ídmen pseúdea pollà légein etúmoisin homoîa, […]
2. sausage, haggis
  - 423 BCE, Aristophanes, The Clouds 409:
    ὀπτῶν γαστέρα τοῖς συγγένεσιν κᾆτ᾿ οὐκ ἔσχων ἀμελήσας, […]
    optôn gastéra toîs sungénesin kâit’ ouk éskhōn amelḗsas, […]
(anatomy) womb
- 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 6.58:
  τῶν μή τις ὑπεκφύγοι αἰπὺν ὄλεθρον χεῖράς θ’ ἡμετέρας, μηδ’ ὅν τινα γαστέρι μήτηρ κοῦρον ἐόντα φέροι, μηδ’ ὃς φύγοι, […]
  tôn mḗ tis hupekphúgoi aipùn ólethron kheîrás th’ hēmetéras, mēd’ hón tina gastéri mḗtēr koûron eónta phéroi, mēd’ hòs phúgoi, […]
- 6th century BC, Theognis of Megara, Elegies 305:
  Τοὶ κακοὶ οὐ πάντες κακοὶ ἐκ γαστρὸς γεγόνασιν, […]
  Toì kakoì ou pántes kakoì ek gastròs gegónasin, […]

Usage notes

The root of γᾰστήρ (găstḗr) contains an ε (e) between τ (t) and ρ (r) which is often syncopated, leading to alternative forms such as genitive singular γᾰστέρος (găstéros) and γᾰστρός (găstrós), dative singular γᾰστέρῐ (găstérĭ) and γᾰστρῐ́ (găstrĭ́), dative plural γᾰστῆρσῐ (găstêrsĭ) and γᾰστρᾰ́σῐ (găstrắsĭ). The syncopated form is generally more common in forms with long suffixes, such as the aforementioned. The inflection table below lists the more common forms.

Inflection

Irregular declension of ἡ γᾰστήρ; τῆς γᾰστέρος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ γᾰστήρ hē găstḗr	τὼ γᾰστέρε tṑ găstére	αἱ γᾰστέρες hai găstéres
Genitive	τῆς γᾰστέρος / γᾰστρός tês găstéros / găstrós	τοῖν γᾰστέροιν toîn găstéroin	τῶν γᾰστέρων tôn găstérōn
Dative	τῇ γᾰστέρῐ / γᾰστρῐ́ têi găstérĭ / găstrĭ́	τοῖν γᾰστέροιν toîn găstéroin	ταῖς γᾰστῆρσῐ / γᾰστῆρσῐν / γᾰστρᾰ́σῐ / γᾰστρᾰ́σῐν taîs găstêrsĭ(n) / găstrắsĭ(n)
Accusative	τὴν γᾰστέρᾰ tḕn găstéră	τὼ γᾰστέρε tṑ găstére	τᾱ̀ς γᾰστέρᾰς tā̀s găstérăs
Vocative	γᾰστήρ găstḗr	γᾰστέρε găstére	γᾰστέρες găstéres
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

γᾰστεροπλήξ (găsteroplḗx)
γᾰ́στρᾰ (gắstră)
γᾰστραίᾱ (găstraíā)
γᾰστρᾰφέτης (găstrăphétēs)
γᾰστρῐ́δῐον (găstrĭ́dĭon)
γᾰστρῐ́δουλος (găstrĭ́doulos)
γᾰστρῐ́ζω (găstrĭ́zō)
γᾰστρῐ́μᾰργος (găstrĭ́mărgos)
γᾰστρῐ́ον (găstrĭ́on)
γᾰ́στρῐς (gắstrĭs)
γᾰστροβᾰρής (găstrobărḗs)
γᾰστροβόρος (găstrobóros)
γᾰστροειδής (găstroeidḗs)
γᾰστροιῐ̈́ς (găstroiĭ̈́s)
γᾰστροκνήμη (găstroknḗmē)
γᾰστρολογῐ́ᾱ (găstrologĭ́ā)
γᾰστρομᾰντεύομαι (găstromănteúomai)
γᾰστρονομῐ́ᾱ (găstronomĭ́ā)
γᾰστροπῑ́ων (găstropī́ōn)
γᾰστρόπτης (găstróptēs)
γᾰστρορρᾰφῐ́ᾱ (găstrorrhăphĭ́ā)
γᾰστρόρροιᾰ (găstrórrhoiă)
γᾰστροτόμος (găstrotómos)
γᾰστροφόρος (găstrophóros)
γᾰστροχᾰ́ρῠβδῐς (găstrokhắrŭbdĭs)
γᾰστρόχειρ (găstrókheir)
γᾰστρώδης (găstrṓdēs)
γᾰ́στρων (gắstrōn)
ἐγγᾰστρῐ́μᾰντῐς (engăstrĭ́măntĭs)
ἐγγᾰστρῐμᾰ́χαιρᾰ (engăstrĭmắkhairă)
ἐγγᾰστρῐ́μῡθος (engăstrĭ́mūthos)
ἐγγᾰ́στρῐος (engắstrĭos)
ἐγγᾰστρῑ́της (engăstrī́tēs)
ἐγγᾰστρόχειρ (engăstrókheir)
ἐκτρᾰπελόγᾰστρος (ektrăpelógăstros)
ἐπῐγᾰ́στρῐος (epĭgắstrĭos)
ἑτερογᾰ́στρῐος (heterogắstrĭos)
κᾰτᾰ́γᾰστρος (kătắgăstros)
κᾰτεπῐγᾰ́στρῐος (kătepĭgắstrĭos)
λεπτόγᾰστρος (leptógăstros)
ὁμογᾰ́στρῐος (homogắstrĭos)
προγᾰστρῐ́δῐος (progăstrĭ́dĭos)
προγᾰστρῐκός (progăstrĭkós)
προγᾰ́στρῐον (progắstrĭon)
σῡ́ργᾰστρος (sū́rgăstros)
ταυρογᾰστρῐκός (taurogăstrĭkós)
ῠ̔πογᾰστρῐ́ζομαι (hŭpogăstrĭ́zomai)
ῠ̔πογᾰ́στρῐον (hŭpogắstrĭon)
ῠ̔πογᾰ́στρῐος (hŭpogắstrĭos)
ῠ̔πογᾰστρῐ́ς (hŭpogăstrĭ́s)

Descendants

⇒ Catalan: gastro-
→ English: gaster, ⇒ gastro-
⇒ French: gastro-
⇒ German: gastro-
⇒ Italian: gastro-
→ Latin: gaster
⇒ Portuguese: gastro-
⇒ Spanish: gastro-

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “γαστήρ”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 262