oliva

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɔˈliː.wa]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [oˈliː.va]^[1]

Forms

olīva f (genitive olīvae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐλαία (elaía, “olive tree, olive”), earlier ⟨elaíwā⟩, as the OLD and Etymonline say.^[2][3] Wiktionary takes it through Etruscan ⟨*eleiva⟩, as in ⟨eleivana⟩ “of oil”, from Proto-Hellenic ⟨*elaíwā⟩, compare Mycenaean Greek e-ra-wa.^[1] The Greek word itself is most likely from a Mediterranean, Pre-Greek source, or perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *h₁loywom, with Old Church Slavonic лои (loi, “tallow”) and Old Armenian եւղ (ewł, “oil”).^[1][3] Isidore notes that the tree is ⟨olea⟩, its fruit ⟨olīva⟩ and its juice ⟨oleum⟩.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of the fruit.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant the fruit of the olive tree, an olive, as in Plautus, and in Virgil the olive tree.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant the olive tree, the olive.^[6] British Medieval Latin used it for the olive, also with reference to the Epistle of James.^[7] It survives in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese oliva and French olive, and gave English olive about 1200, first of the tree.^[1][3]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of the fruit.^[2][5]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of the tree.^[2][5]
• c. 1200 – English olive is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

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

Word family

• olīvans
• olīvārius
• olīvēta
• olīvētum
• olīvifer
• olīvifōrmis
• olīvitās
• olīvitor
• olīvum

Related words

• olea
• oleāceus
• oleāgineus
• oleāmen
• oleāris
• oleārius
• oleastellus
• oleaster
• oleātus
• oleitās
• oleum
• English olive

Usage notes

Isidore distinguishes olea, the tree, from olīva, the fruit, and oleum, the oil.^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
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