γαλαξίας Ancient Greek · revision 3261

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1st century BC, Diodorus Siculus|origins=grc γάλα}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /ɡa.lak.sí.aːs/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /ɣa.lakˈsi.as/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /ɣa.lakˈsi.as/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''γᾰλᾰξῐ́ᾱς''' (galaxíās) ''m'' (genitive γᾰλᾰξῐ́ου); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is derived from [[γάλα|tr=gála|t=milk]], stem ⟨γαλακτ-⟩, with the suffix [[m|grc|-ίας|tr=-íās]]; the ''τ'' became ''σ'' before ''ι'', giving ''ξ''.^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960)^(Wiktionary) It was originally an adjective, “milky”, short for “the milky [[κύκλος|tr=kúklos|t=circle]]”.^(Wiktionary)^(LSJ 1940)^(Etymonline) Ptolemy has the form [[γαλακτίας|tr=galaktías]], remade after the base word.^(Frisk 1960)^(Beekes 2010)

+

+ Γάλα is inherited; outside Greek it is found only in [[la|lac]] and in Armenian.^(Beekes 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Diodorus Siculus uses it for the Milky Way.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Writers on astronomy and philosophy used it, alone or as ''γαλαξίας κύκλος'', for the band of light across the sky: Lucian, Philo, Plutarch and the astrologer Manetho.^(DGE)^(LSJ 1940) With ''λίθος'' “stone” understood, Dioscorides used it for a chalky stone, tailor's chalk.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE) Galen used it for a fish, perhaps the lamprey.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+

+ Late Latin borrowed it as [[m|la-lat|galaxias]], while Classical Latin translated it as ''via lactea'', the source of English ''Milky Way''.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) English ''galaxy'' came from French or Late Latin in the late 14th century; the sense of a separate star system dates from about 1848.^(Etymonline) Modern Greek [[m|el|γαλαξίας|tr=galaxías]] is a learned word, with the new sense modelled on Latin.^(Triantafyllidis 1998)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1st century BC – Diodorus Siculus uses it for the Milky Way.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 1st century BC – 1st century AD – Philo writes ''γαλαξίας κύκλος''.^(DGE)

+ * 1st century AD – Dioscorides uses it for a chalky stone.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 2nd century AD – Galen uses it for a fish.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * Late 14th century – English borrows ''galaxy''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The [[m|en|Milky Way]].^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ # A chalky stone, tailor's [[m|en|chalk]].^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ # A fish, perhaps the [[m|en|lamprey]] or a kind of dogfish.^(DGE)^(LSJ 1940)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[γάλα|tr=gála]]

+ * [[la|galaxias]]

+ * [[en|galaxy]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}