olea

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈɔ.ɫe.a]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɔː.le.a]^[1]

Forms

olea f (genitive oleae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐλαία (elaía, “olive, olive tree”), a word of Pre-Greek or Mediterranean origin.^[1][2][3] The OLD relates it to olīva, the older borrowing of the same Greek word, as ⟨deus⟩ to ⟨dīvus⟩.^[4] Varro already derived ⟨olea⟩ from Greek ⟨elaia⟩.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Cato, of the olive fruit.^[4] Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It meant an olive and, in Cicero, an olive tree.^[4] Horace's proverb nīl intrā est oleam “there is nothing inside the olive” mocks absurd arguments.^[5]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant the olive tree.^[6] British Medieval Latin used it for the olive and the olive tree, and extrā oleās “beyond the olives” for out of bounds, after the trees marking a race-course.^[7]

Timeline

• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of the olive.^[4][2]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the olive tree.^[4][2]

Meanings

Noun

1. An olive.^[4]
2. An olive tree.^[4]

Word family

• oleāginus
• oleitās
• olētās
• olētum
• oleāgineus
• oleaster

Related words

• oleāceus
• oleāmen
• oleāris
• oleārius
• oleastellus
• oleātus
• oleōsus
• oleum
• olīva
• English oil

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ 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