γαλέη,
contraction γαλῆ, ῆς, ἡ, a name given to various animals of the weasel kind, weasel, marten, polecat or foumart, [[ Batrachomyomachia 9, +others, 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Acharnenses” 255, “Pl.” 693, 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Historia Animalium” 609a17, +others] Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἰ διᾴξειεν γαλῆ (a bad omen) [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Ecclesiazusae” 792, compare 4th-3rd c.BC: Theophrastus Philosophus “Characteres” 16.3: proverbial, θύρα δι᾽ ἧς γαλῆ.. οὐκ εἰσέρχεται 2nd c.AD: Apollodorus Damascenus Mechanicus Car. 6. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__2 γ. ἀγρία wild ferret (found in Africa and Spain, [[ 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 4.192), 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Historia Animalium” 580b26, 2nd c.AD: Rufus Medicus “fragment” 79, 1st c.BC-1st c.AD: Strabo Geographus 3.2.6; γ. Ταρτησσία 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus [same place], 4th-5th c.AD: Diogenianus Paroemiographus 3.71. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__3 γ. ἐνοικίδιος tame weasel, [[ 1st-2nd c.AD: Plutarchus Biographus et Philosophus 2.446c; γ. κατοικίδιος 3rd c.AD: Philumenus Medicus “de Venenatis Animalibus” 33.1, 1st c.AD: Dioscorides (Dioscurides) Medicus 2.25. ] Refs 1st c.AD+]
__4 proverbial, γαλῆν ἔχεις, of bad luck, [[ 4th-5th c.AD: Diogenianus Paroemiographus 3.84 ] Refs 4th c.AD+]; γαλῇ χιτώνιον κροκωτόν, of 'pearls before swine', [[ 5th c.BC: Strattis Comicus 71, 2nd c.AD: Zenobius Paroemiographus 2.93 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; γαλῇ στέαρ, ={βατράχῳ ὕδωρ} (which see), [[ 4th-5th c.AD: Diogenianus Paroemiographus 3.83. ] Refs 4th c.AD+]