beryllus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [beːˈryl.lʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [beˈril.lus]^[1]

Forms

bēryllus m (genitive bēryllī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek βήρυλλος (bḗrullos, “beryl”), from Prakrit वेरुलिअ (vērulia), from Proto-Dravidian *weḷ-ūr, the name of a city, according to Wiktionary.^[2][1] Köbler and Etymonline compare Sanskrit वैडूर्य (vaiḍūrya, “cat's-eye gem”).^[3][4] The spellings ⟨bērullus⟩ and ⟨bērillus⟩ are also found.^[2][5] Isidore says it is found in India and is like the emerald in greenness, but paler.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis and Short's earliest example is from Propertius, of a sea-green stone from India.^[5] Köbler's first source is Pliny the Elder; he dates Propertius 57/46–12 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant a precious stone of a sea-green colour from India, the beryl, as in Propertius and Pliny the Elder.^[2][5][7]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a beryl, a precious stone.^[8] Medieval Latin used it for cut glass or crystal, and British Medieval Latin for a burning glass, an eyeglass, a gazing crystal and a reliquary.^[9][10] Old French beryl gave English beryl about 1300, and a Vulgar Latin *berillāre “to shine like a beryl” is perhaps the source of Italian brillare, whence English brilliant.^[4]

Timeline

• 57/46–12 BC – Propertius uses it of the beryl.^[5][3]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder describes it.^[5][3]
• c. 1300 – English beryl is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A beryl.^[2]
2. (Medieval Latin) Cut glass, crystal; an eyeglass.^[9][10]

Related words

• smaragdus
• English beryl
• English brilliant

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
9. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
10. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press