γάλαξ

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Perhaps from γάλα (gála, “milk”), because of the color of its shell.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ɡá.laks/ → /ˈɣa.laks/ → /ˈɣa.laks/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ɡá.laks/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈɡa.laks/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈɣa.laks/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈɣa.laks/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈɣa.laks/

Noun

γᾰ́λᾰξ • (gálax) m (genitive γᾰ́λᾰκος); third declension

1. rayed trough shell (Mactra corallina)

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ γᾰ́λᾰξ; τοῦ γᾰ́λᾰκος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ γᾰ́λᾰξ ho gálax	τὼ γᾰ́λᾰκε tṑ gálake	οἱ γᾰ́λᾰκες hoi gálakes
Genitive	τοῦ γᾰ́λᾰκος toû gálakos	τοῖν γᾰλᾰ́κοιν toîn galákoin	τῶν γᾰλᾰ́κων tôn galákōn
Dative	τῷ γᾰ́λᾰκῐ tôi gálaki	τοῖν γᾰλᾰ́κοιν toîn galákoin	τοῖς γᾰ́λᾰξῐ / γᾰ́λᾰξῐν toîs gálaxi(n)
Accusative	τὸν γᾰ́λᾰκᾰ tòn gálaka	τὼ γᾰ́λᾰκε tṑ gálake	τοὺς γᾰ́λᾰκᾰς toùs gálakas
Vocative	γᾰ́λᾰξ gálax	γᾰ́λᾰκε gálake	γᾰ́λᾰκες gálakes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• → Translingual: Galax

Further reading

• “γάλαξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• γάλαξ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• γάλαξ in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN