crystallinus

Forms

crystallinus (feminine crystallina, neuter crystallinum); first/second-declension adjective^[1] Also spelled crustallinus.^[2] Medieval texts also write cristallinus and chrystallinus.^[3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek κρυστάλλινος (krustállinos, “of crystal”),^[2][5][1] the adjective of κρύσταλλος (krústallos), which meant “ice” in Homer and later also “rock crystal”.^[6] Beekes rejects the connection with κρύος (krúos, “icy cold”) and, following Kuiper, takes the noun to be Pre-Greek because of its suffix -αλλος (-allos).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Seneca (4 BC–65 AD) is the first to use it, asking whether a cup is of gold or of crystal.^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

It meant made of crystal, of cups, dice and vessels in Seneca and Petronius,^[2] and Pliny the Elder uses it of a crystal ball set against the sun's rays.^[2] Pliny also applies it to what resembles crystal, such as clear spots in gems.^[2] The neuter crystallinum came to mean a crystal vessel, mostly in the plural.^[5]

Medieval Latin used it for things made of crystal and for what is clear and transparent like crystal,^[3] and in astronomy for the crystalline sphere between the firmament and the prīmum mōbile.^[4] English took it as crystalline in the late 14th century, partly through Old French.^[8]

Timeline

• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca asks whether a cup is golden or of crystal.^[2][7]
• before 66 AD – Petronius mentions crystal dice and vessels.^[2][7]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of a crystal ball and of crystal-like spots in gems.^[2][7]
• late 14th century – Borrowed into English as crystalline.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Made of crystal.^[2][5]
2. Resembling crystal; clear, transparent.^[2][3]
3. (Medieval Latin, astronomy) Of the crystalline sphere between the firmament and the prīmum mōbile.^[4]

Noun

1. crystallinum: a vessel of crystal, mostly in the plural.^[5]

Word family

• crystallinum

Related words

• crystallus
• English crystalline

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c 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
5. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill
7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com