lenimen

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɫeːˈniː.mɛn]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [leˈniː.men]^[1]

Forms

lēnīmen n (genitive lēnīminis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin lēniō (“to soothe”) + -men, from lēnis (“soft, gentle”).^[2][1][3] De Vaan traces ⟨lēnis⟩ to Proto-Italic *lēni-, from Proto-Indo-European *leh₁-n(o/i)- (“lazy, slow”), keeping the connection with Balto-Slavic ⟨*lēnos⟩ “lazy”.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its earliest source is Horace, who calls the lyre dulce lēnīmen “sweet solace” of his labours.^[3][5][6] Köbler dates Horace 65–8 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Poetic, it meant something that soothes, an alleviation, mitigation, solace, as in Horace and Ovid.^[2][5][6]

In British Medieval Latin it was a medical softening or soothing agent, as in Alexander Neckam.^[7]

Timeline

• 65–8 BC – Horace uses it.^[5][3]
• 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it.^[6][3]

Meanings

Noun

1. An alleviation, solace.^[2]
2. (Medieval Latin, medicine) A soothing agent.^[7]

Related words

• lēnē
• lēnīmentum
• lēniō
• lēnis
• lēnitās
• lēniter
• lēnitūdō

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ 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