γαῖα

A. γαίης Hom. (and Antiph., v. infr.), Trag. γαίας, dat. γαίᾳ A. Pers. 618, S. Aj. 659, E. Med. 736, etc., acc. γαῖαν: nom. γαίη only in late Poets, IG 14.1935, etc.; Dor. γαία ib.803 (Naples): pl. γαῖαι Od. (v. infr.), LXX 4 Ki. 18.35, al.:—poet. for γῆ, land, country, φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν to one's dear fatherland, Il. 2.140, al.; γαῖάν τε τεὴν δῆμόν τε Od. 8.555: pl., οὐδέ τις ἄλλη φαίνετο γαιάων 12.404, D.P. 882.

2. earth, χυτὴ γ. earth thrown up to form a cairn, Il. 23.256; ὦ γ. κεραμί, of potters' earth, Eub. 43, cf. Sannyr. 4; κύτος πλαστὸν ἐκ γαίης Antiph. 52.3; the forms γαιῶν, γαίαις, γαίας in codd. of LXX are written for γεῶν, etc.

3. earth, as an element, ὑμεῖς . . ὕδωρ καὶ γ. γένοισθε Il. 7.99; ἐμοῦ θανόντος γ. μειχθήτω πυρί Trag.Adesp. 513; γαίης καὶ ὕδατος ἐκγενόμεσθα Xenoph. 33, cf. Emp. 17.18, 109.1, etc.

II. the earth, Theoc. 18.20: elsewh. Γαῖα, as pr. n., Earth, Hes. Th. 45, A. Eu. 2, etc. (The usu. form in Hom.; used in Trag. metri gr. and by Com. in paratrag., v. supr.)