Gluttony: The animal known as the… | etymologist.ai
gluttony
/ˈɡlʌtəni/·noun·c. 1230·Established
Origin
From Latin 'gluttīre' (to swallow), from PIE *gel- (to swallow) — arrived in English already condemned as a deadly sin.
Definition
Habitual greed or excess in eating; overindulgence in food and drink, traditionally regarded as one of the seven deadly sins.
The Full Story
Latin13th centurywell-attested
From OldFrench 'glotonie' (gluttony, greediness), from 'gloton' (glutton), from Latin 'gluttō, glūtō' (glutton), related to 'gluttīre' (to swallow, to gulp down) and 'gula' (throat, gullet). Latin 'gluttīre' derives from PIE *gʷelh₃- (to swallow, to devour), which also producedGreek δέλεαρ (délear, bait — something to be swallowed) and Slavic *žьlti (to swallow). The related Latin 'gula' (throat) gave English 'gullet' and
Did you know?
The animal known as the 'glutton' — the wolverine — earned its name from a reputation for insatiable appetite that is largely undeserved. The Swedish naturalist Olaus Magnus (1555) described it eating until its belly swelled, then squeezing betweentrees to empty itself and start eating again. This was pure folklore, but the name stuck. The scientific name 'Gulo gulo' doubles
a neutral physical action — swallowing — into a moral category, encoding the Christian theological framework that turned bodily appetites into sins. Key roots: gluttīre / glūtīre (Latin: "to swallow, to gulp down"), *gel- (Proto-Indo-European: "to swallow, to devour").