gomer

gomer · noun¹

1. Hebrew · derived fromעומר“sheaf; unit of dry measure”
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromγομόρ
3. Latin · derived fromgomor
4. English todaygomer

From Latin gomor in the Vulgate, from Ancient Greek γομόρ (gomór) in the Septuagint, from Hebrew עומר ('ómer, “sheaf; unit of dry measure”).

gomer · noun²

After Louis-Gabriel de Gomer, the French artillery officer who invented the design. Attested in English since the early nineteenth century.

gomer · noun³

Likely from the oafish fictional character Gomer Pyle from the 1960s American sitcom The Andy Griffith Show.

gomer · noun⁴

1. Hebrew · borrowed fromגמר“finish; complete”
2. English todaygomer

Uncertain. Perhaps the same as, or influenced by Etymology 3, above. It is frequently claimed that the word is an acronym for "grand old man of the emergency room", or for "Get Out of My ER", the latter story popularized by the 1978 novel The House of God by Samuel Shem. John Algeo (1991) notes that various people claim the word is an acronym or is borrowed from Hebrew גמר (G-M-R, “finish; complete”), but suggests that these accounts are dubious. He concludes that a connection to Gomer Pyle or to the "stupid, awkward person" sense of the word is the most likely source. The Oxford English Dictionary online (2003) likewise treats the "undesirable patient" and "stupid person" senses as uses of the same word.

GOMER · noun⁵

See gomer, Etymology 4.

Gomer · proper noun, noun⁶

1. Biblical Hebrew · derived fromגֹּמֶר
2. English todayGomer

From Biblical Hebrew גֹּמֶר (gōmer). Compare Ancient Greek Κιμμέριος (Kimmérios) and Neo-Assyrian 𒆳𒄀𒂇𒊏𒀀𒀀 (Gimirrāya).