encaustum

Forms

encaustum n (genitive encaustī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἔγκαυστον (énkauston), the neuter of ἔγκαυστος (énkaustos, “burnt in”),^[1][2][3] from ἐν- (en-, “in”) and καυστός (kaustós, “burnt”), from καίω (kaíō, “to burn”).^[1] The OLD treats it as the neuter of the adjective encaustus used as a noun.^[4] The TLL and the MLW compare the variant ⟨encautum⟩ with cauterium.^[5][6]

It is the source of Italian inchiostro and French encre,^[5][7] and through Old French of English ink.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Pliny the Elder (23/24–79)^[8] uses it for encaustic painting, done with colours mixed in hot wax, and says that there were anciently two kinds of it.^[4][7]

Semantic evolution

Pliny also uses the plural for paintings done in encaustic.^[4][7] In Late Latin the word, often in the spelling encautum, named the purple-red ink, the sacrum encaustum, reserved for the emperor: it is mentioned in the Theodosian Code (438) and the Code of Justinian.^[2][7] Etymonline says the emperors used it to sign their documents.^[3]

In Medieval Latin encaustum and incaustum became the ordinary word for writing ink,^[9][6][10] and British writers also used it figuratively and perhaps for a dye.^[10] Köbler adds the medieval senses of an archive or register.^[8]

Timeline

• 23/24–79 – Pliny the Elder uses it for encaustic painting.^[4][8]
• 354–430 – Augustine uses the word.^[8]
• 438 – The Theodosian Code uses it for the emperor's purple ink.^[2][8]
• mid-13th century – English inke comes, through Old French, from the Late Latin word.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. encaustic painting, done with colours in hot wax;^[4][2][7] (plural) encaustic paintings.^[4][2][7]
2. (Late Latin) The purple-red ink reserved for the emperor's signature.^[2][1][7]
3. (Medieval Latin) Writing ink.^[9][6][10]

Related words

• English ink

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
6. ^ a b c Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
7. ^ a b c d e f g Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
8. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
9. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
10. ^ 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