karcr

Grammatical information: adj.

Meaning: `grim, fierce, terrible' of look, gaze (A.), later also `vigorous'

Other forms: Γοργώ, acc. pl. Γοργούς (Hes.)

Compounds: γοργώψ. γοργωπός.

Derivatives: γοργότης `rapidity' (Hermog.), γοργία = agilitas (Gloss.), denom. γοργόομαι `be spirited', of horses (X.), γοργεύω (pap., Sm., H.). - Γοργώ, - οῦς f. (Il.) name of a female monster with petrifying look, with Γοργ-είη κεφαλή (Il.; form. s. Schulze Q. 254); pl. mostly. Γοργόνες (Hes.), with new singulars Γοργόνα (acc.) etc. (E.), with Γοργόνειος (A. Pr. 793 etc.), Γοργόνη (Hdn.), Γοργονώδης (Sch.) and the plant names Γοργόνειον and Γοργονιάς (Ps.-Dsc.; s. Strömberg Pflanzennamen 101). - Also Γοργάδες (S. Fr. 163), by H. explained as ἁλιάδες; and Γοργίδες αἱ Ώκεανίδες H. - PN Γοργυθίων Θ 302 (form.?) and Γοργίας with Γοργίειος `Gorgias-like' (X.) and γοργιάζω `speak like G.' (Philostr.).

Origin: XX [etym. unknown]

Etymology: Osthoff Etym. parerga 1, 44ff. connected OIr. garg(g) `raw, wild', OCS groza `shiver') and Pedersen KZ 39, 379 (Arm. karcr `hard'). Leumann Hom. Wörter 154f. thinks it is a backformation from γοργώψ ( γοργῶπις), γοργωπός (A.); so Γοργὡ would be the basis, which like Μορμώ seems a popular reduplicated formation; accepted by DELG.

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