Etymologically
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fragro

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈfra.ɡroː], [ˈfraɡ.roː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈfraː.ɡro], [ˈfraɡ.ro][1]

Forms

fragrō (present infinitive fragrāre, perfect active fragrāvī); first conjugation, no passive, no supine stem[1]

Etymology

It is probably a verb from an adjective *fragros “smelling”, Proto-Indo-European *bʰrh₁g-ro-.[2][1] Cognate with Middle Irish brén (“putrid, foul”) and Old Irish braigid (“breaks wind”), and perhaps with Middle High German bræhen (“to smell”).[2] Leumann compared Sanskrit जिघ्रति (jíghrati, “smells”), which Schrijver showed to be difficult in form.[2][3] Manuscripts often spell it with ⟨flagr-⟩ or ⟨fragl-⟩.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Catullus, whose house is fragrant with Assyrian scent.[2][4] Köbler dates Catullus 81/79–52/50 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to give off a strong smell, usually pleasant, “to be fragrant”, as Virgil's honey fragrant with thyme, but also unpleasant, as Martial's reek of yesterday's wine and the stench of the Harpies in Virgil.[4]

Its present participle gave English fragrant in the mid-15th century, and Late Latin fragrantia gave English fragrance.[6] Old French flairier “to smell” continues it.[1]

Timeline

  • 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus speaks of a house fragrant with Assyrian scent.[4][5]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil speaks of honey fragrant with thyme.[4][5]
  • 40–102/103 AD – Martial uses it of the reek of wine.[4][5]
  • mid-15th century – English fragrant is recorded.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To smell sweetly, be fragrant; to be redolent (of).[4]
  2. To smell strongly, reek.[4]

Word family

  • fragrantia
  • fragrāns

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com