fragrantia

Forms

fragrantia f (genitive fragrantiae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin frāgrāns (“sweet-smelling”) + -ia,^[2][1] the present participle of frāgrō (“to smell strongly”).^[3][4] De Vaan traces the verb to an adjective going back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰrh₁g-ro- (“smelling”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is post-classical;^[3] the first author it is cited from is Valerius Maximus (c. 31 AD), who speaks of the fragrance of ointments.^[3][4][6]

Semantic evolution

The Vulgate uses it for the smell of garments,^[3][4] and Ambrose figuratively for the “fragrance of good morals”.^[3][6] In Medieval Latin it often meant the odour of sanctity given off by a saint's body,^[7][8] and it was frequently confused with flagrantia, being written flagrantia or fraglantia.^[7][8][9]

English borrowed it in the 1660s as fragrance, from French or directly from Late Latin.^[10]

Timeline

• c. 31 AD – Valerius Maximus writes of the fragrance of ointments.^[3][4]
• c. 340–397 AD – Ambrose uses it figuratively of good morals.^[3][11]
• 390–406 AD – The Vulgate uses it for the smell of garments.^[3][11]
• 639–709 – Aldhelm writes of the fragrance of nard, spelled flagrantia.^[9][11]
• 1660s – Borrowed into English as fragrance.^[10]

Meanings

Noun

1. A sweet smell, fragrance, scent.^[2][3][12]
2. (figurative) The good repute or excellence of something.^[3][6][11]
3. (Medieval Latin) The odour of sanctity.^[7][8]

Related words

• English fragrance

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b c Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
9. ^ 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
10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
11. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
12. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.