γῆ + ἐράω
Word
Validation
Yes
Word-form
γῆρας
Word-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
gēras
English translation (word)
old age
Transliteration (Etymon)
gē + eraō
English translation (etymon)
earth + to love
Century
5 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Letter 1522, l. 6
Ed.
P. Évieux, Isidore de Péluse. Lettres, Tome II: Lettres 1414-1700 [Sources chrétiennes 454. Paris: Éditions du Cerf, 2000]: 16-468.
Quotation
τὸ γὰρ γῆρας εἴρηται παρὰ τὸ γῆς ἐρᾶν
Translation (En)
Because gēras "old age" is named after "to desire (erân) earth (gês)"
Parallels
Isidore of Pelusium, Epistula de interpretatione divinae Scripturae (Letters 3.54) (Αἰδέσθητι κἂν τοὔνομα τοῦ γήρως, ὅπερ εἵρηται παρὰ τὸ γῆς ἐρᾷν); Philippus Monotropus, Dioptra 1.6, l. 1172 (τὸ γῆρας τοίνυν εἴρηται παρὰ τὸ γῆς ἐρᾶν τε διὸ καὶ οἱ γηράσαντες τρόπον τινὰ κυρτοῦνται κυρτοβατοῦσι τὸ πρὸς γῆν ἐπείγεσθαι ζητοῦντες); Nicolaos Catascepenus, Vita sancti Cyrilli Phileotae 55.1 (Γῆρας γὰρ λέγεται παρὰ τὸ γῆς ἐρᾶν)
Modern etymology
Γῆρας belongs to the inherited PIE root *g̑erh2- "old", and is connected within Greek with γέρας, γέρων, and γραῦς (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
Γήρας in Modern Greek is a learned word, the usual word is the derivative γηρατειά (neuter plural)
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
The word is parsed as a compound of γῆ "earth". This is common to several etymologies provided for γῆρας, and the variable part of the etymology lies in the identification of the second element: ὁράω "to look at", referring to a physical characteristic, ῥέω, alluding to death and funerals, and ἐράω "to desire", which is similar to the etymology by ῥέω