gemō
Traditionally derived from Proto-Indo-European *gem- (“to grasp”), whence Ancient Greek γέμω (gémō, “to be full”), Ancient Greek γόμος (gómos, “load; cargo”), Lithuanian gùmstu (“to grasp”). The semantic shift would be something like "to grasp, press" > "to take one's fill" > "to groan, moan (from eating too much)".
However, de Vaan notes that this series of semantic shifts is quite unlikely, and prefers Vine's theory deriving the word from a Proto-Indo-European *genH- (“to call”) (with replacement of *-n > -m on the model of semantically similar verbs like fremō (“to roar”) and tremō (“to tremble”)), whence Ancient Greek γέγωνᾰ(gégōnă, “to shout”), Tocharian A ken- (“to call”).
Pronunciation
- (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈɡɛ.moː]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈd͡ʒɛː.mo]
Verb
gemō (present infinitive gemere, perfect active gemuī, supine gemitum); third conjugation
- to sigh, groan
- Synonyms: ingemō, ingemīscō
- (of things) to creak
- to bemoan, lament
- Synonyms: dēplōrō, ingemō, lūgeō, plangō, queror, conqueror, plōrō, fleō