gemma

Forms

gemma f (genitive gemmae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is probably inherited from Proto-Italic *gebmā (“bud, sprout”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵeb-m- (“sprout, bud”), with “bud” as the first meaning; it is cognate with Lithuanian žémbėti (“to germinate”) and Old Church Slavonic прозѧбнѫти (prozębnǫti, “to germinate”).^[2] Walde and Hofmann, Pokorny and the OLD derive it from a root Proto-Indo-European *ǵembʰ- (“to bite”); de Vaan separates that root, “to cut”, from the one meaning “to germinate”, and rejects a link with gemō (“to groan”).^[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan gives Plautus as its first author.^[2] In the Curculio a seal is meant: sub gemmā “under seal”.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense is the bud or eye of a vine or tree, as in Cato's instructions for grafting.^[3][2] Then it is a precious stone, as Cicero's necklace of gold and gems, a cup made of such a stone (Virgil), a signet or seal, a drop of resin or amber, and in Martial a pebble for marking days and a piece in a board game.^[3] Quintilian notes that the ancients took “jewel” to be the original sense.^[5]

Church Latin glosses it “jewel, gem, precious stone”.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of a seal.^[2][3][4]
• 234–149 BC – Cato of a bud.^[3][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero of precious stones.^[3][4]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil of a jewelled cup.^[3][4]
• 40–102/103 AD – Martial of a pebble and a game piece.^[3][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A bud or eye (of a plant).^[3][1]
2. A precious stone, gem, jewel.^[3][1][6]
3. A cup of precious stone.^[3]
4. A signet, seal.^[3]
5. A drop of resin; amber.^[3]
6. A pebble (for marking days); a piece in a board game.^[3]

Word family

• bigemmis
• gemmārius
• gemmeus
• gemmifer
• gemmō
• gemmōsus
• gemmula
• trigemmis
• gemmātus

Related words

• English gem

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson