baume

Forms

baume m (plural baumes)^[1] Old French basme, the commonest form until the 16th century, after the Latin spelling.^[2][3] Also bausme and balme.^[4][5] Still bâme in La Fontaine's time.^[5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French basme, inherited from Latin balsamum (“balsam tree, balsam”),^[1][2][6][3] which is from Ancient Greek βάλσαμον (bálsamon).^[2][1] Rey thinks the Greek word was probably taken from a Semitic language, Hebrew or Arabic.^[2]

Cognate with Italian balsamo, Spanish bálsamo and Old Occitan balme, basme.^[3][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Anglo-Norman Dictionary has records from 1121–1135, for balm, the balm tree and water mint.^[4] The DHLF and the Grand Robert date basme to about 1150, first for a healing ointment.^[2][8]

Semantic evolution

In Latin balsamum named a fragrant shrub and, mostly in the plural, its resin; in Late Latin it named an ointment made with it, hence something pleasant and soothing.^[2] The French word first meant an ointment for healing wounds, then figuratively “something pleasant” (1532) and “what soothes sorrow” (1683).^[2]

The Latin sense “resin flowing from certain plants” appears in the 12th–13th century, and the word also named the plant (1267–1268) and in particular a kind of mint (1680), but these senses stayed technical.^[2] Littré records fleurer comme baume “to smell sweet”.^[5] The Old French word gave English balm (about 1200, first as basme).^[9]

Timeline

• 1121–1135 – Earliest Anglo-Norman records.^[4]
• c. 1150 – Basme “healing ointment”.^[2][8]
• c. 1200 – English borrows it as basme.^[9]
• 1267–1268 – It names the plant.^[2]
• 1532 – Figurative sense “something pleasant”.^[2]
• 16th century – Basme gives way to baume.^[2][3]
• 1680 – It names a kind of mint.^[2]
• 1683 – “What soothes sorrow”.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (botany) A fragrant plant, often a kind of mint.^[10][11][12]
2. A fragrant resin given off by certain plants: baume du Pérou, baume de Tolu.^[10][12]
3. A soothing preparation, a balm or salve.^[10][12]
4. (figurative) What soothes pain or sorrow: mettre du baume au cœur.^[10][12][1]

Word family

• embaumer
• baumier
• embaumement
• embaumeur

Related words

• balsamique
• English balm

Usage notes

A separate baume (feminine) “cave, grotto”, Old French balme (13th century), comes from Gaulish balma “hermits' cave” and is used in French only of the Sainte-Baume near Toulon and in place names.^[8][3][11]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
5. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 1, 226a
7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
8. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
10. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
11. ^ a b Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
12. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse