lenimentum

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɫeː.niːˈmɛn.tũː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [le.niˈmɛn.tum]^[1]

Forms

lēnīmentum n (genitive lēnīmentī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin lēniō (“to soothe”) + -mentum, 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

Köbler's earliest source is Valerius Maximus, of the 1st century AD.^[3] The OLD's earliest citations are from Pliny and Tacitus.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Post-Augustan, it meant in medicine a softening or soothing remedy, as in Pliny, and an alleviation, solace, as in Tacitus.^[2][5]

British Medieval Latin used it for an agent that softens or smooths, as a file in a gloss.^[6] It survives in Italian lenimento.^[1]

Timeline

• 1st century AD – Valerius Maximus uses it.^[3]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny uses it in medicine.^[2][3]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of solace.^[2][3]

Meanings

Noun

1. (medicine) A softening or soothing remedy.^[2]
2. An alleviation, solace.^[2]

Word family

• allenimentum

Related words

• lēnē
• lēnīmen
• lēniō
• lēnis
• lēnitās
• lēniter
• lēnitūdō

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ 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