γῆρας
Word
Validation
Yes
Word-form
γέρων
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
gerōn
English translation (word)
old man
Transliteration (Etymon)
geras
English translation (etymon)
old age
Century
1 AD?
Source
Idem
Ref.
D Scholion Il. 9.400
Ed.
H. van Thiel, Scholia D in Iliadem, online edition 2014
Quotation
Γέρων. Εἴρηται ἤτοι παρὰ τὸ περὶ τὸ γῆρας εἶναι, ἵν’ ᾖ παρώνυμον τὸ ὄνομα. Ἢ, παρὰ τὸ ἕτοιμον ἤδη εἰς τιμήν. Ἢ, ὁ εἰς γῆν ὁρῶν, ὁ ἐγγὺς τοῦ θανάτου
Translation (En)
Gerōn "old man": named after the fact that he is close to old age (gēras), so that the name is derived from the latter. Or from the fact that he is ready for honor. Or he who looks on earth, the one who is close to death
Parallels
Geneva scholion Il. 9.400 (γέρων] εἴρηται ἢ παρὰ τὸ γέρας εἶναι, ἵν’ ᾖ παρώνυμον τὸ ὄνομα, ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἕτοιμος ἤδη εἰς τιμὴν ἢ εἰς γῆν, ὁρῶν ἐγγὺς τοῦ θανάτου)
Modern etymology
Γέρων belongs with γῆρας "old age", γραῦς "old woman" and γέρας "gift of honor", inherited from PIT *g̑erh2- "old" (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
Modern Greek has γέροντας, and γέρος "old man"
Comment
Γέρων and γῆρας indeed belong together. The etymology is semantically straightforward and relies on the familiar alternation between [ĕ] and [ē] (τίθημι / τίθεμεν). Notice the Geneva scholion to the same line derives it not from γῆρας but for γέρας, which is a likely corruption or emendation of an older γῆρας