a name given to various animals of the weasel kind, weasel, marten, polecat or foumart, Batr. 9, al., Ar. Ach. 255, Pl. 693, Arist. HA 609a17, al.; εἰ διᾴξειεν γαλῆ (a bad omen) Ar. Ec. 792, cf. Thphr. Char. 16.3: prov., θύρα διʼ ἧς γαλῆ . . οὐκ εἰσέρχεται Apollod.Car. 6.
γ. ἀγρία wild ferret (found in Africa and Spain, Hdt. 4.192), Arist. HA 580b26, Ruf. Fr. 79, Str. 3.2.6; γ. Ταρτησσία Hdt. l.c., Diogenian. 3.71.
γ. ἐνοικίδιος tame weasel, Plu. Virt.mor. 2.446c; γ. κατοικίδιος Philum. Ven. 33.1, Dsc. 2.25.
prov., γαλῆν ἔχεις, of bad luck, Diogenian. 3.84; γαλῇ χιτώνιον κροκωτόν, of ‘pearls before swine’, Stratt. 71, Zen. 2.93; γαλῇ στέαρ, = βατράχῳ ὕδωρ (q. v.), Diogenian. 3.83.
a small fish, distd. from γαλεός by Ael. NA 15.11. (From γαλεyᾱ, Adj. from *γαλις, cf. Skt. girikā ‘mouse’, Lat. glīs.)