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lardum

Etymology and origin of the Latin word lardum

History Permalink
Confidence
Uncertain
Formation
Clipping
First attested
Lucilius

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈɫaːr.dũː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈlar.dum][1]

Forms

lārdum n (genitive lārdī); second declension[1]

Etymology

It is the contracted form of lāridum.[2][1] De Vaan finds the derivation from *lajes-idos, related to lārgus, unlikely, and Wiktionary, after him, takes the word as most likely cognate with or borrowed from Ancient Greek λαρινός (larinós, “fattened”), related to λαρός (larós, “sweet”).[3][1] The OLD and Georges also compare the Greek word.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lāridum is found from Plautus onwards and the short lārdum from Lucilius.[3] Lucilius has “to gobble bacon”.[2]

Semantic evolution

It meant salted and dried pork, bacon or bacon fat, as Horace's greens dressed with rich bacon, and in Pliny, Martial and Juvenal.[2][4][5] Cato lists emmer and bacon among rations.[2]

Isidore says it was so called because it was kept stored in the house, the ancients calling houses lares.[6] English lard came from it through Old French in the late 14th century.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses the full form lāridum.[3][8]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato lists bacon in rations.[2][8]
  • c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses the short form.[3][8]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of bacon with greens.[2][8]
  • late 14th century – English lard is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Bacon, salted pork; bacon fat, lard.[2][1]
  • laridum
  • English lard

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  8. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Lardum.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/lardum. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·