γάλα (Greek)
Where does "γάλα" come from?
Modern Greek 'γάλα', meaning 'milk', descends directly from Ancient Greek 'γάλα'[1]. While traditionally traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root '*glakt-'[1], this ancestral connection is debated due to phonetic irregularities and a Mediterranean distribution[2]. Alternatively, some scholars propose it could be a wanderword related to Hittite terms like 'galaktar', though this connection is also doubted[2].
Open questions
- The inheritance of the word from a Proto-Indo-European root has been doubted due to phonetic irregularities and its Mediterranean distribution. [1] [2]
- An alternative proposal suggests the word may be borrowed from an agricultural wanderword related to Hittite forms, though this link remains disputed. [2] [3]
Full etymology tree
- γάλα (gála) (Greek), 'milk'
- inherited γάλα (gála) (Ancient Greek), 'milk'
- inherited *gláktn̥ (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *glákt (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *glag- (Proto-Indo-European)
- suffix *-tr̥ (Proto-Indo-European), 'Derives nouns from verbal roots.'
- derived *glákt (Proto-Indo-European)
- borrowed 𒂵𒌨𒋻 (galaktar) (Hittite)
- derived 𒅗𒆷𒀭𒃰𒁺 (galank-) (Hittite), 'to soothe, to satiate, to satisfy'
- inherited *gleǵʰ- (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived 𒅗𒆷𒀭𒃰𒁺 (galank-) (Hittite), 'to soothe, to satiate, to satisfy'
- inherited *gláktn̥ (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited γάλα (gála) (Ancient Greek), 'milk'
Ancestors
- γάλα (Ancient Greek)
Cognates and doublets
- гала (Mariupol Greek)
Sources
- γάλα (gála) (Greek) - Wiktionary
- γάλα (gála) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
- 𒂵𒆷𒀝𒋻 (Hittite) - Wiktionary
- 𒅗𒆷𒀭𒃰𒁺 (galank-) (Hittite) - Wiktionary
Updated September 2026
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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris