γάργαλος, γαργαλισμός, γαργαλίζω, γαγγαλίζω
(Phryn. PS 56.9−10, Phryn. Ecl. 68, Antiatt. γ 28, Moer. γ 23)

A. Main sources

(1) Phryn. PS 56.9−10: γάργαλος· ὁ ἐρεθισμός. καὶ γαργαλισμός. τὸ δὲ γαργαλίζεσθαι οὐκ Ἀττικόν.

Phrynichus’ proscription of γαργαλίζεσθαι (in the middle diathesis, in the sense of ‘to feel tickling’) is contradicted by Pl. Phdr. 251c.5.

γάργαλος (‘tickling’): Irritation. Also γαργαλισμός (‘tickling’), but γαργαλίζεσθαι (‘to feel tickling’) is not Attic.

(2) Phryn. Ecl. 68: γαργαλίζειν λέγε διὰ τοῦ ρ, ἀλλὰ μὴ διὰ τῶν δύο γγ, γαγγαλίζειν.

Say γαργαλίζειν (‘to tickle’) with ρ, not with two γγ, γαγγαλίζειν.

(3) Antiatt. γ 28: γαγγαλίζειν· οὐ γαργαλίζειν.

γαγγαλίζειν (‘to tickle’): Not γαργαλίζειν.

(4) Moer. γ 23: γάργαλος Ἀττικοί· γαργαλισμός Ἕλληνες.

Users of Attic [employ] γάργαλος (‘tickling’). Users of Greek [employ] γαργαλισμός.

B. Other erudite sources

(1) Philox.Gramm. fr. 222 (= Orio 41.10): γαγγαλίζω· παρὰ τὸ γελῶ γελίζω καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ ε εἰς τὸ α γαλίζω, καὶ κατὰ ἀναδιπλασιασμὸν καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ γ γαγγαλίζω, τὸ εἰς γέλωτα ἄγω. οὕτω Φιλόξενος ἐν τῷ Περὶ ἀναδιπλασιασμοῦ.

Cf. Et.Gen. AB s.v. γαγγαλίζω = EM 219.25, Et.Gud. d 294.1−2, Et.Gud. d² 294.16−7, Et.Sym. γ 4, [Zonar.] 422.18−21.

γαγγαλίζω (‘to tickle’): From γελῶ (‘to laugh’) [comes] γελίζω and, with the change of ε into α, γαλίζω and then, with reduplication and addition of γ, γαγγαλίζω, ‘to provoke laughter’. So [says] Philoxenus in the [treatise] On reduplication.

(2) Erot. 61.7−9: γαργαλισμόν· γάργαλος καὶ γαργάλη λέγεται ἐρεθισμός, ἀπὸ τῶν πασχητιωσῶν γυναικῶν εἰλημμένης τῆς λέξεως. ὡς καὶ Ἀριστοφάνης Γηρυτάδῃ καὶ Δίφιλος ἐν Δαναΐσι.

γαργαλισμόν (‘tickling’): The irritation is called γάργαλος and γαργάλη, the word being taken from homosexual women, as both Aristophanes in the Gerytades (fr. 181 = C.3) and Diphilus in the Danaids (fr. 24 = C.5) [say].

(3) Phryn. PS 65.6: δυσγάργαλος ἵππος: ἐπὶ τῶν ψήχεσθαι δυσανασχετούντων τίθεται.

‘A skittish horse’ (X. Eq. 3.10): [The phrase] applies to those who do not tolerate being stroked.

(4) Poll. 1.197: ψόγος ἵππου ἔργων καὶ γνώμης ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων νωθής, βραδύς, ἀμβλύς […] δυσγάργαλις, ἀπειθής.

On the contrary, to blame a horse’s actions and disposition [you may use the words] νωθής (‘sluggish’), βραδύς (‘slow’), ἀμβλύς (‘dull’) […] δυσγάργαλις (‘skittish’), ἀπειθής (‘disobedient’).

(5) Hsch. γ 6: γαγγαλᾶν, γαγγαλίζεσθαι· ἥδεσθαι (S).

γαγγαλᾶν, γαγγαλίζεσθαι (‘to be tickled’): To be pleased.

(6) Hsch. γ 7: γαγγαλίδες· γελασῖνοι.

γαγγαλίδες: Front teeth (i.e. those which show when one laughs, or ‘dimples’).

(7) Hsch. γ 170 (~ Hdn. Περὶ ὀρθογραφίας GG 3,2.485.20): γαργαλισμός· γαγγαλισμός, ἡδυπάθειά τις· τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ καὶ γάργαλος καὶ γαργάλη.

γαργαλισμός: ‘Tickling’. A way to please. Also γάργαλος and γαργάλη [mean] the same thing.

(8) Hsch. δ 2540: δυσγάργαλις· δυσπράυντος. οὐχ ὑποτασσόμενος. δυσπρόσιτος ὁτὲ δὲ δυσγαργάλιστος.

δυσγάργαλις: Hard to tame, disobedient, difficult to mount because of being skittish.

(9) Hsch. ε 118: *ἐγαργάλιζον· ἐκίνουν. ὑπεσήμαινον. προετρέποντο (AS vgp).

Cf. Σ γ 7 = Phot. γ 33, Su. γ 63, Et.Gen. s.v. γαργαλίζει, Et.Sym. γ 189, [Zonar.] 423.13−4, 605.3.

ἐγαργάλιζον (‘they were tickling’): They were inciting, intimating, persuading.

(10) Orio 82.4−6: κιονίς. ἥτις λέγεται καὶ γαργαρεὼν παρὰ τῷ Ἱπποκράτει, διὰ τὸν γινόμενον περὶ αὐτὸν ἦχον ἐν τῷ γαργαλίζεσθαι.

κιονίς (‘uvula’): This is also called γαργαρεών in Hippocrates (e.g., Prog. 23.22), because of the sound that is produced around it when one feels tickling (γαργαλίζεσθαι).

(11) Σ γ 48 (= Phot. γ 113, Su. γ 267, [Zonar.] 436.30−1): γιγλισμός· κιχλισμός, ἀπὸ χειρῶν γέλως, γαργαλισμός.

Cf. Hsch. γ 551.

γιγλισμός: Giggling, laughter [caused] by [touching with] the hands, tickling.

(12) Phot. δ 804 (= Su. δ 1603, ex Σʹʹ): δυσγάργαλις· δυσυπότακτος· γαργαλίζειν γὰρ τὸ εἰς γέλωτα κινεῖν καὶ πείθειν.

Cf. ΕΜ 291.47−8, Et.Sym. δ 389, [Zonar.] 575.12−3.

δυσγάργαλις (‘skittish’): Hard to make obedient. For γαργαλίζειν (‘to tickle’) is [the act of] moving and persuading to laughter.

(13) Phot. ο 467 (= Su. ο 577, ex Σʹʹ): ὀρθοπλὴξ ἵππος· ὀρθὸς ἐπαιρόμενος καὶ πλήσσων. Ἀριστοφάνης Ἀναγύρῳ· ‘ὡς δὲ ὀρθοπλήξ· πέφυκε γὰρ δυσγάργαλις’.

A rearing horse: Lifting itself up and kicking. Aristophanes in the Anagyrus (fr. 44 = C.2): (A) ‘How rearing!’ (B) ‘Indeed, he was born skittish’.

C. Loci classici, other relevant texts

(1) Ar. Th. 130−3:
ὡς ἡδὺ τὸ μέλος, ὦ πότνιαι Γενετυλλίδες,
καὶ θηλυδριῶδες καὶ κατεγλωττισμένον
καὶ μανδαλωτόν, ὥστ’ ἐμοῦ γ’ ἀκροωμένου
ὑπὸ τὴν ἕδραν αὐτὴν ὑπῆλθε γάργαλος.

Holy Genetyllides, what a pretty song! How feministic and tongue-gagged and deep-kissed! Just hearing it brought a tingle to my very butt! (Transl. Henderson 2000, 475).

(2) Ar. fr. 44:
(A) ὡς δ’ ὀρθοπλήξ. (Β) πέφυκε γὰρ δυσγάργαλις.

(A) ‘How rearing!’ (B) ‘Indeed, he was born skittish’.

(3) Ar. fr. 181 = Erot. 61.7−9 re. γαργαλισμόν (B.2).

(4) Pl. Phlb. 47a.3−6: οὐκοῦν ὁπόταν αὖ πλείων ἡδονὴ κατὰ <τὰ> τοιαῦτα πάντα συμμειχθῇ, τὸ μὲν ὑπομεμειγμένον τῆς λύπης γαργαλίζει τε καὶ ἠρέμα ἀγανακτεῖν ποιεῖ, τὸ δ᾿ αὖ τῆς ἡδονῆς πολὺ πλέον ἐγκεχυμένον συντείνει τε καὶ ἐνίοτε πηδᾶν ποιεῖ, καὶ παντοῖα μὲν χρώματα, παντοῖα δὲ σχήματα, παντοῖα δὲ πνεύματα ἀπεργαζόμενον πᾶσαν ἔκπληξιν καὶ βοὰς μετ᾿ ἀφροσύνης ἐνεργάζεται;

And when the pleasure is the predominant element in the mixture, the slight tincture of pain tickles a man and makes him mildly impatient, or again an excessive proportion of pleasure excites him and sometimes even makes him leap for joy; it produces in him all sorts of colours, attitudes, and pantings, and even causes great amazement and foolish shouting, does it not? (Transl. Fowler, Lamb 1925, 329).

(5) Diph. fr. 24 = Erot. 61.7−9 re. γαργαλισμόν (B.2).