γάιδαρος

Greek

Alternative forms

More than 40 dialectal/regional variations of root γ-δ-ρ found.

γάδαρος m (gádaros) (dialectal modern, also Hellenistic and Medieval)
γαΐδαρος m (gaḯdaros) (dated, also Medieval)
γαϊδούρι n (gaïdoúri)(frequent variant)
Also, see Synonyms for more dialectal words

Etymology

From Hellenistic Koine Greek γάδαρος (gádaros) of 2nd century CE[1]. Medieval γάιδαρος (gáidaros)/γάδαρος (gádaros)/γαΐδαρος (gaḯdaros)[2] or γαϊδάριον (gaïdárion)[3]
Origin theories:

Uncertain, obscure: from Arabic غَيْذَار‎ (ḡayḏār) with proposed meaning “harshness, oppression”.[4]
Based on the form γαύδαρος (gávdaros), the same word as Arabic كَوْدَن‎ (kawdan, “beast of burden, particularly a mule or hinny”),[5] which see for more, a word then also present in Khotanese [script needed] (khaḍara, “mule”)[6], alleged source of Turkish katır (“mule”), Kazakh қашыр (qaşyr, “mule”) etc.
Or from Hindi ghádar, gadarō or gadaró meaning “gypsy”.[7]
Not from γαϊδούρι (gaïdoúri) < (καρ)γαδούρι ((kar)gadoúri) from cargatore (literally “carrier”) from cargar (“to load onto oneself”)[8]
Not from the Ancient Greek γάδος (gádos, “cod”), common name: γαϊδουρόψαρο (gaïdourópsaro).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈɣai̯.ða.ɾos/
Audio (file)
Hyphenation: γάι‧δα‧ρος

Noun

γάιδαρος • (gáidaros) m (plural γάιδαροι, feminine γαϊδούρα or γαϊδάρα)

donkey, ass, Equus asinus
(colloquial, derogatory, figuratively) lout, boor, ass, jackass, pig, jerk (an uncultred, ill-bred man)
Τι γάιδαρος ήταν ο αδελφός της, που δεν μας είπε ούτε ένα «γεια»!
Ti gáidaros ítan o adelfós tis, pou den mas eípe oúte éna «geia»!
What a boor her brother was, he didn't even say "hi" to us!

Declension

declension of γάιδαρος

case \\ number	singular	plural
nominative	γάιδαρος •	γάιδαροι •
genitive	γαϊδάρου •	γαϊδάρων •
accusative	γάιδαρο •	γαϊδάρους •
vocative	γάιδαρε •	γάιδαροι •

Synonyms

ἀείδαρος m (ἀeídaros) (Medieval, by false etymology)[9]
όνος m (ónos) (formal, archaic)
dialectal/regional:
- γομάρι n (gomári) colloquial, regional, from Ancient Greek γόμος (gómos) (14 variations) (see also حِمَار‎ (ḥimār))
- γάνταρος (15 variations), γάζος (7 variations), γκάφαλος, γκανέτσος
- γάρος (in Cyprus)
- with root βαστ- from βαστώ (vastó, “I hold, carry”): βασταγός 9 variations at the Peloponnese
- ασίνο from Latin asinus
- μερκέπι from Turkish merkep
- φορτύκι: φορτ- root from φέρω (féro) (I bear, carry), 4 variations in Corfu island.
(jocular) κυρ- (kyr-)Μέντιος (Méntios) from Μενδαῖος ὄνος, of the city Μένδη (Méndē)
see also Alternatives

Derived terms

From γαϊδαρ-

γαϊδάρα f (gaïdára, “she-ass”)
γαϊδαράκος m (gaïdarákos, diminutive)

From γαϊδουρ-

γαϊδούρα f (gaïdoúra)
γαϊδουράγκαθο n (gaïdourágkatho, “Scotch thistle”)
γαϊδουράκι n (gaïdouráki, diminutive)
γαϊδουράκος m (gaïdourákos, diminutive)
γαϊδουριά f (gaïdouriá, “rudeness, discourtesy”)
γαϊδουρινός (gaïdourinós, “loutish”)
γαϊδουρίσιος (gaïdourísios, adjective)
γαϊδουρόβηχας m (gaïdouróvichas, “extreme coughing”)
γαϊδουρογάιδαρος m (gaïdourogáidaros, superlative sense)
γαϊδουρογυρεύω (gaïdourogyrévo, “to donkey-search”, literally “search in vain”) (in proverbs)
γαϊδουροδένω (gaïdourodéno, “to tie a donkey”) (in proverbs)
γαϊδουροκαβαλαρία f (gaïdourokavalaría, “donkey cavalry”)
γαϊδουροκαλόκαιρο n (gaïdourokalókairo, “at the summer's hottest”)
γαϊδουρολάτης m (gaïdourolátis, “donkey guide”)
γαϊδουρομούλαρο n (gaïdouromoúlaro, “mule with donkey mother, horse father”)
γαϊδουροτόμαρο n (gaïdourotómaro, “donkey skin”)
γαϊδουρότριχα f (gaïdourótricha, “hair of donkey”)
γαϊδουροφωνάρα f (gaïdourofonára, “extremely loud voice”)
γαϊδουρόψαρο n (gaïdourópsaro, “cod”) (colloquial)

Expressions with both γάιδαρος or γαϊδούρι

γάιδαρος/γαϊδούρι ξεκαπίστρωτο (xekapístroto)
γάιδαρος/γαϊδούρι ξεσαμάρωτο (xesamároto)

Expressions with γάιδαρος

Derived terms

γάιδαρος με περικεφαλαία (gáidaros me perikefalaía)
δένω τον γάιδαρό μου (déno ton gáidaró mou, “to consolidate one's position”) (literally: "to tie one's donkey")
κατά φωνή κι ο γάιδαρος (katá foní ki o gáidaros, “talk of the devil”) (literally: "by voice, here's the donkey")
σκάω γάιδαρο (skáo gáidaro, “to try someone's patience, to drive someone mad”) (literally: "to burst a donkey")

Expressions with γαϊδουρ-

Derived terms

γαϊδουρινή υπομονή (ypomoní)
κάλλιο γαϊδουρόδενε παρά γαϊδουρογύρευε (kállio gaïdouródene pará gaïdourogýreve, “a stitch in time saves nine”) (literally: "better to tie your donkey up than to be looking for it")
Κυπραίικο γαϊδούρι n (Kypraíiko gaïdoúri)
μακριά γαϊδούρα f (makriá gaïdoúra)
πετάει ο γάιδαρος; (petáei o gáidaros?)

Proverbs with γάιδαρος

Derived terms

δυο γάιδαροι μαλώνανε σε ξένον αχυρώνα (dyo gáidaroi malónane se xénon achyróna) (about people who quarrel over things they do not own) (literally: "two donkeys were fighting in a stranger's barn")
είπε ο γάιδαρος τον πετεινό κεφάλα (eípe o gáidaros ton peteinó kefála, “the pot calling the kettle black”) (literally: "the donkey called the rooster big-headed")
ήταν στραβό το κλήμα, τό 'φαγε κι ο γάιδαρος (ítan stravó to klíma, tó 'fage ki o gáidaros, “the final nail in the coffin”) (literally: "the vine was crooked, then the donkey ate it")
κάποιου του χαρίζανε γάιδαρο κι αυτός τον κοίταζε στα δόντια (kápoiou tou charízane gáidaro ki aftós ton koítaze sta dóntia, “Don't look a gift horse in the mouth”) (about nitpickers) (literally: "they were gifting someone a donkey and he/she was looking at its teeth")
μαντζουράνα στο κατώφλι, γάιδαρος στα κεραμίδια (mantzourána sto katófli, gáidaros sta keramídia) (about illogical things) (literally: "marjoram on the doorstep and donkey on the roof tiles")
(σιγά) μη στάξει η ουρά του γαϊδάρου (mi stáxei i ourá tou gaïdárou) (about people who pay attention to lesser details when there are more important things to care about) (literally: "don't make water drip off the donkey's tail")
παλιός γάιδαρος καινούρια περπατησιά δε μαθαίνει (paliós gáidaros kainoúria perpatisiá de mathaínei, “you can't teach an old dog new tricks”) (literally: "an old donkey doesn't learn a new way of walking")
φάγαμε τον γάιδαρο, στην ουρά θα σταματήσουμε; (fágame ton gáidaro, stin ourá tha stamatísoume?) (about situations in which the better part of the evil has been done and stopping would be illogical) (literally: "we've eaten the donkey, are we going to stop at the tail?")

Related terms

γκαρίζω (gkarízo, “bray”)
μουλάρι n (moulári, “mule”)
άλογο n (álogo, “horse”)

References

γάδαρος in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2018)
γάιδαρος - Kriaras, Emmanuel (vol.1 1969-) Επιτομή του Λεξικού της Μεσαιωνικής Ελληνικής Δημώδους Γραμματείας [Concise Dictionary of Medieval Vulgar Greek Literature (1100–1669) Vols. I–XIV] (in Greek) Online edition (22 vols. printed edition)
γαϊδάριον is found:
* at Liddell-Scott and DGE at LOGEION.
* It is mentioned at many dictionaries of Modern Greek (Institute Triantafyllidis, Babiniotis).
Arabic origin from ga(i)dar, mentioned in:
*γάιδαρος - Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], 1998, by the "Triantafyllidis" Foundation.
* Georgios Babiniotis (2002), “γάιδαρος”, in Λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας: […] [Dictionary of the New Greek Language] (in Greek), 2nd edition, Athens: Kentro Lexikologias, →ISBN.
* Liddell-Scott at LOGEION
Lagarde, Paul de (1866) Gesammelte Abhandlungen (in German), Leipzig: F. A. Brockhaus, pages 54–55 Nr. 142
Bailey, H. W. (1979) Dictionary of Khotan Saka, Cambridge, London, New York, Melbourne: Cambridge University press, pages 70b–71a
Hindi origin meaning “gypsy” mentioned at γάιδαρος - Kriaras, Emmanuel (vol.1 1969-) Επιτομή του Λεξικού της Μεσαιωνικής Ελληνικής Δημώδους Γραμματείας [Concise Dictionary of Medieval Vulgar Greek Literature (1100–1669) Vols. I–XIV] (in Greek) Online edition (22 vols. printed edition).
His source: Karapatosoglou, Kostas (1984)Κυπριακά έτυμα [Cypriot etyma]
γάιδαρος at en.academic.com retr:2018.08.03.
αείδαρος - Kriaras, Emmanuel (vol.1 1969-) Επιτομή του Λεξικού της Μεσαιωνικής Ελληνικής Δημώδους Γραμματείας [Concise Dictionary of Medieval Vulgar Greek Literature (1100–1669) Vols. I–XIV] (in Greek) Online edition (22 vols. printed edition)

γάιδαρος

Greek

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Synonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

References

Further reading