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laridum

Etymology and origin of the Latin word laridum

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Confidence
Unknown
First attested
Plautus

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈɫaː.rɪ.dũː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈlaː.ri.dum][1]

Forms

lāridum n (genitive lāridī); second declension[1] The contracted form lārdum is found from Lucilius on, and the Theodosian Code has a feminine lārida.[2][3]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.[4] The OLD and Lewis & Short compare Ancient Greek λαρινός (larinós, “fattened”).[5][3] De Vaan notes that an explanation as ⟨*lajes-idos⟩, related to largus, would normally give ⟨*laeridus⟩, and finds the Greek adjective unconvincing.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan's first source is Plautus, whom Köbler dates c. 250–184 BC, and the OLD cites Plautus' Captivi on the havoc to come for hams and bacon.[2][6][5]

Semantic evolution

It meant bacon, cured pork fat.[5][3]

Through Old French larde and directly from Latin lārdum it gave English lard in the late 14th century, “rendered fat of a swine”.[7] Medieval Latin lardārium “meat store” lies behind English larder.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][5][6]
  • c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius has the form lārdum.[2][6]
  • late 14th century – English lard is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Bacon, pork fat.[5]

Word family

  • lardārius

References

  1. ^ a b c 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Laridum.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/laridum. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·