gála
Possibly inherited from Proto-Indo-European *gláktn̥ (“milk”) (compare Latin lac, Old Armenian կաթն (katʻn), Albanian dhallë), earlier *glákt (or, if the Hittite cognate is valid, *gláktr̥), perhaps from a root *glag- + *-tr̥, but the phonetic irregularities, presence of *a, and Mediterranean distribution of this word have cast doubt on its existence in PIE. Instead, it may have been borrowed from an agricultural wanderword related to or descended from Hittite 𒂵𒌨𒋻 (galaktar, “soothing substance, nutrient”), itself possibly derived from 𒅗𒆷𒀭𒃰𒁺 (galank-, “to soothe”), from Proto-Indo-European *gleǵʰ- (“soft, weak”); cf. Bulgarian гле́зя (glézja, “to pamper”).[1] However, Beekes doubts that there is any connection.[2]
The variant γλάγος (glágos) was contracted from the second oblique stem.
Noun
γᾰ́λᾰ • (gála) n (genitive γᾰ́λᾰκτος or γᾰ́λᾰκος); third declension
Usage notes
γᾰ́λᾰ was sometimes treated as indeclinable.