γλαυκός

See also: Γλαῦκος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Uncertain origin. Barber reconstructs Proto-Indo-European *gleh₂w-ko-, noting that the root only appears in Greek (Homer, Aeschylus),^[1] but Beekes finds an Indo-European origin unlikely.^[2]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ɡlau̯.kós/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ɡlaʍˈkos/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ɣlaɸˈkos/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ɣlafˈkos/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ɣlafˈkos/

Adjective

γλαυκός • (glaukós) m (feminine γλαυκή, neuter γλαυκόν); first/second declension

gleaming, bright
blue-gray or blue-green
- 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 700–701:
  Χορός ... ὃ τᾷδε θάλλει μέγιστα χώρᾳ,
  γλαυκᾶς παιδοτρόφου φύλλον ἐλαίας
  Khorós ... hò tāîde thállei mégista khṓrāi,
  glaukâs paidotróphou phúllon elaías
  Chorus: [a plant] that flourishes greatly in this land,
  the leaf of the child-nourishing gray olive tree
- 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Generation of Animals 5.1:
  καθάπερ φαίνεται καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάττης· τὸ μὲν γὰρ εὐδίοπτον αὐτῆς γλαυκὸν φαίνεται, τὸ δ’ ἧττον ὑδατῶδες, τὸ δὲ μὴ διωρισμένον διὰ βάθος μέλαν καὶ κυανοειδές.
  katháper phaínetai kaì epì tês thaláttēs; tò mèn gàr eudíopton autês glaukòn phaínetai, tò d’ hêtton hudatôdes, tò dè mḕ diōrisménon dià báthos mélan kaì kuanoeidés.
  Just as it is seen also in the case of the sea; for the transparent part of it appears blue-green, the less [transparent part appears] watery, but that which is not distinguishable because of depth [appears] black and blue-black.
(of an eye color) light; blue, gray, green
- 460 BCE – 370 BCE, Hippocrates of Kos, On Airs, Waters, and Places 14:
  εἰ οὖν γίνονται ἔκ τε φαλακρῶν φαλακροὶ καὶ ἐκ γλαυκῶν γλαυκοὶ καὶ ἐκ διεστραμμένων στρεβλοὶ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πλῆθος, [...]
  ei oûn gínontai ék te phalakrôn phalakroì kaì ek glaukôn glaukoì kaì ek diestramménōn strebloì hōs epì tò plêthos, [...]
  If, then, from bald [parents] bald [children] are born, and from blue-eyed [parents] blue-eyed [children], and from distorted [parents] cross-eyed [children], for the most part, [...]
- 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Generation of Animals 5.1:
  Γλαυκότερα δὲ τὰ ὄμματα τῶν παιδίων εὐθὺς γενομένων ἐστὶ πάντων, ὕστερον δὲ μεταβάλλει πρὸς τὴν ὑπάρχειν μέλλουσαν φύσιν αὐτοῖς· [...] τὰ δὲ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὄμματα πολύχροα συμβέβηκεν εἶναι· καὶ γὰρ γλαυκοὶ καὶ χαροποὶ καὶ μελανόφθαλμοί τινές εἰσιν, οἱ δ’ αἰγωποί. [...] τοῦ δὲ γλαυκότερα καὶ μὴ χρόαν ἄλλην ἴσχειν αἴτιον ὅτι ἀσθενέστερα τὰ μόρια τῶν νέων, ἀσθένεια δέ τις ἡ γλαυκότης.
  Glaukótera dè tà ómmata tôn paidíōn euthùs genoménōn estì pántōn, hústeron dè metabállei pròs tḕn hupárkhein méllousan phúsin autoîs; [...] tà dè tôn anthrṓpōn ómmata polúkhroa sumbébēken eînai; kaì gàr glaukoì kaì kharopoì kaì melanóphthalmoí tinés eisin, hoi d’ aigōpoí. [...] toû dè glaukótera kaì mḕ khróan állēn ískhein aítion hóti asthenéstera tà mória tôn néōn, asthéneia dé tis hē glaukótēs.
  The eyes of all infants are bluish immediately after birth; later on they change to the colour which is to be theirs permanently. [...] whereas the eyes of men happen to be of many colours; for some are blue, amber, and dark-eyed, while others are goat-eyed [yellow]. [...] And the reason why the eyes of infants are bluish and have no other colour is that the parts are weaker in the newly born and blueness is a sort of weakness.
- 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Problems 10:
  Διὰ τί οἱ λευκοὶ ἄνθρωποι καὶ ἵπποι ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ γλαυκοί; ἢ διότι τριῶν χρωμάτων ὄντων τοῖς ὄμμασι, μέλανος καὶ αἰγωποῦ καὶ γλαυκοῦ, τῷ τοῦ σώματος χρώματι καὶ τὸ τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ χρῶμα ἀκολουθεῖ, τοῦτο δέ ἐστι γλαυκότης.
  Dià tí hoi leukoì ánthrōpoi kaì híppoi hōs epì tò polù glaukoí? ḕ dióti triôn khrōmátōn óntōn toîs ómmasi, mélanos kaì aigōpoû kaì glaukoû, tōî toû sṓmatos khrṓmati kaì tò toû ophthalmoû khrôma akoloutheî, toûto dé esti glaukótēs.
  Why are white-skinned men and horses, for the most part, blue-eyed? It is because there are three colors of the eyes, black, yellow, and blue, the color of the eye follows the color of the body, and this is blueness.
- 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Physiognomonics 812b:
  οἷς δὲ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἄγαν μέλανες, δειλοί. ἡ γὰρ ἄγαν μελαίνη χρόα ἐφάνη δειλίαν σημαίνουσα. οἱ δὲ μὴ ἄγαν μέλανες ἀλλὰ κλίνοντες πρὸς τὸ ξανθὸν χρῶμα εὔψυχοι. οἷς δὲ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ γλαυκοὶ ἢ λευκοί, δειλοί. ἐφάνη γὰρ τὸ λευκὸν χρῶμα δειλίαν σημαῖνον. οἱ δὲ μὴ γλαυκοὶ ἀλλὰ χαροποὶ εὔψυχοι. ἀναφέρεται ἐπὶ λέοντα καὶ ἀετόν.
  hoîs dè hoi ophthalmoì ágan mélanes, deiloí. hē gàr ágan melaínē khróa ephánē deilían sēmaínousa. hoi dè mḕ ágan mélanes allà klínontes pròs tò xanthòn khrôma eúpsukhoi. hoîs dè hoi ophthalmoì glaukoì ḕ leukoí, deiloí. ephánē gàr tò leukòn khrôma deilían sēmaînon. hoi dè mḕ glaukoì allà kharopoì eúpsukhoi. anaphéretai epì léonta kaì aetón.
  Those whose eyes are exceedingly black are cowardly; for exceedingly black coloration appeared to signify cowardice. But those whose eyes are not exceedingly black, but incline toward a tawny color, are courageous. Those whose eyes are blue or pale are cowardly; for pale coloration appeared to signify cowardice. But those whose eyes are not blue, but amber, are courageous. This is associated with the lion and the eagle.
- 100 BCE – 600 CE, Anacreontea 16:
  γράφε τὴν ἐμὴν ἑταίρην. [...] τὸ δὲ βλέμμα νῦν ἀληθῶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς ποίησον, ἅμα γλαυκὸν ὡς Ἀθήνης, ἅμα δ’ ὑγρὸν ὡς Κυθήρης.
  gráphe tḕn emḕn hetaírēn. [...] tò dè blémma nûn alēthôs apò toû puròs poíēson, háma glaukòn hōs Athḗnēs, háma d’ hugròn hōs Kuthḗrēs.
  Paint my beloved. [...] And now make her gaze truly out of fire [using hot wax], at once blue like Athena's, and at once moist like Cytherea's [Aphrodite's].
- 170 CE – 250 CE, Philostratus, Life of Apollonius of Tyana 7.42:
  ‘εἰπέ μοι,’ ἔφη ‘μειράκιον, μὴ γλαυκὸν ἡγεῖταί σε ὁ βασιλεὺς καίτοι μελανόφθαλμον, ὡς ὁρῶ, ὄντα, ἢ στρεβλὸν τὴν ῥῖνα καίτοι τετραγώνως ἔχοντα, καθάπερ τῶν ἑρμῶν οἱ γεγυμνασμένοι;
  ‘eipé moi,’ éphē ‘meirákion, mḕ glaukòn hēgeîtaí se ho basileùs kaítoi melanóphthalmon, hōs horô, ónta, ḕ streblòn tḕn rhîna kaítoi tetragṓnōs ékhonta, katháper tôn hermôn hoi gegumnasménoi?
  Tell me, my boy, surely the Emperor does not imagine you to be blue-eyed, when you are, as I see, dark-eyed, or that you have a crooked nose, whereas it is square and regular, like those of well-formed herms?
- 350 CE – 500 CE, Adamantius, Physiognomonics 2.31:
  ὡς δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ οἱ μὲν ὑπὸ τῇ ἄρκτῳ οἰκοῦντες εὐμήκεις εἰσί, ξανθοί, λευκοὶ τὰς κόμας, ἁπαλότριχες, γλαυκοί, σιμοί, παχυσκελεῖς, περιπληθεῖς σαρκὶ λαγαρᾷ, προγάστορες, ἁπλοῖ, θυμοειδεῖς, ὀλιγόβουλοι, θερμόβουλοι, δυσμαθεῖς, [...]
  hōs dè epì tò polù hoi mèn hupò tēî árktōi oikoûntes eumḗkeis eisí, xanthoí, leukoì tàs kómas, hapalótrikhes, glaukoí, simoí, pakhuskeleîs, periplētheîs sarkì lagarāî, progástores, haploî, thumoeideîs, oligóbouloi, thermóbouloi, dusmatheîs, [...]
  For the most part, those who live under the Bear [the North] are tall, light, white-haired, soft-haired, blue-eyed, snub-nosed, thick-legged, full of loose flesh, big-bellied, simple, spirited, slow-witted, hot-headed, and slow to learn, [...]

Usage notes

One of the primary Ancient Greek terms used to describe eye color in prose, alongside χαροπός (kharopós) and μέλας (mélas). Some authors used λευκός (leukós) for eyes, which partly overlaps with γλαυκός and may denote its palest shades, such as silvery gray.
Most often describes the healthy eyes of humans; more rarely diseased eyes (see γλαύκωμα (glaúkōma, “cataract”)), animals, the sea, plants, the sky, the Moon, and other things.^[3] See also γλαυκῶπις (glaukôpis).
Ethnographically, the term was associated with Northern peoples.

Inflection

First and second declension of γλαυκός; γλαυκή; γλαυκόν (Attic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	γλαυκός glaukós	γλαυκή glaukḗ	γλαυκόν glaukón	γλαυκώ glaukṓ	γλαυκᾱ́ glaukā́	γλαυκώ glaukṓ	γλαυκοί glaukoí	γλαυκαί glaukaí	γλαυκᾰ́ glaukắ
Genitive	γλαυκοῦ glaukoû	γλαυκῆς glaukês	γλαυκοῦ glaukoû	γλαυκοῖν glaukoîn	γλαυκαῖν glaukaîn	γλαυκοῖν glaukoîn	γλαυκῶν glaukôn	γλαυκῶν glaukôn	γλαυκῶν glaukôn
Dative	γλαυκῷ glaukōî	γλαυκῇ glaukēî	γλαυκῷ glaukōî	γλαυκοῖν glaukoîn	γλαυκαῖν glaukaîn	γλαυκοῖν glaukoîn	γλαυκοῖς glaukoîs	γλαυκαῖς glaukaîs	γλαυκοῖς glaukoîs
Accusative	γλαυκόν glaukón	γλαυκήν glaukḗn	γλαυκόν glaukón	γλαυκώ glaukṓ	γλαυκᾱ́ glaukā́	γλαυκώ glaukṓ	γλαυκούς glaukoús	γλαυκᾱ́ς glaukā́s	γλαυκᾰ́ glaukắ
Vocative	γλαυκέ glauké	γλαυκή glaukḗ	γλαυκόν glaukón	γλαυκώ glaukṓ	γλαυκᾱ́ glaukā́	γλαυκώ glaukṓ	γλαυκοί glaukoí	γλαυκαί glaukaí	γλαυκᾰ́ glaukắ
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	γλαυκῶς glaukôs			γλαυκότερος glaukóteros			γλαυκότᾰτος glaukótătos
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Antonyms

(antonym(s) of “eye color”): μέλας (mélas), αἰγωπός (aigōpós), χαροπός (kharopós)

Derived terms

Γλαυκή (Glaukḗ)
γλαύκινος (glaúkinos)
γλαύκιον (glaúkion)
Γλαυκίππη (Glaukíppē)
Γλαῦκος (Glaûkos)
γλαύκωμα (glaúkōma)
ὑπόγλαυκος (hupóglaukos)

Descendants

Greek: γλαυκός (glafkós)
→ Latin: glaucus
- → Catalan: glauc
- → English: glaucous
- → French: glauque
  - → Romanian: glauc
- → Italian: glauco
- → Portuguese: glauco
- → Romanian: glauc
- → Spanish: glauco
- Translingual: See glauc at the Catalogue of Life

References

^ Barber, Sievers' Law and the History of Semivowel Syllabicity in Indo-European and Ancient Greek
^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 274-275
^ Leffler CT, Schwartz SG, Hadi TM, Salman A, Vasuki V. The early history of glaucoma: the glaucous eye (800 BC to 1050 AD)

λευκός (leukós)	γλαυκός (glaukós), κῐλλός (kĭllós), πολῐός (polĭós), φαιός (phaiós)	μέλᾱς (mélās), ᾰ̓μαυρός (ămaurós), κελαινός (kelainós), μαυρός (maurós)
ἐρῠθρός (erŭthrós); κᾰρῡ́κῐνος (kărū́kĭnos), κόκκῐνος (kókkĭnos), φοινός (phoinós)	πυρρός (purrhós), ξᾰνθός (xănthós), χαροπός (kharopós); ὄρφνῐνος (órphnĭnos)	μήλινος (mḗlinos), ξᾰνθός (xănthós); ὠχρός (ōkhrós)
πρᾰ́σῐνος (prắsĭnos)	χλωρός (khlōrós)	χλωρός (khlōrós); χλωρομέλᾱς (khlōromélās)
γλαυκός (glaukós), κᾰλάϊνος (kăláïnos)	γλαυκός (glaukós)	κῠᾰ́νεος (kŭắneos), ὑᾰκῐ́νθῐνος (huăkĭ́nthĭnos)
ἰόεις (ióeis), φοινῑ́κεος (phoinī́keos); ἁλουργής (halourgḗs), πορφῠ́ρεος (porphŭ́reos), οἶνοψ (oînops)	φοινῑ́κεος (phoinī́keos); ἁλουργής (halourgḗs), πορφῠ́ρεος (porphŭ́reos)	ῥόδινος (rhódinos), ῥοδόεις (rhodóeis)