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oriolum

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word oriolum

Confidence
Uncertain
First attested
1186
From the same root
English oriel ← oriolum

Forms

oriolum n (genitive oriolī); second declension[1] Köbler also lists the spellings oriellum, auriolum and orioldum.[1]

Etymology

The origin is unclear.[1][2] Etymonline mentions a possible source in Vulgar Latin *auraeolum, a dissimilated form of Latin aulaeolum, the diminutive of aulaeum (“curtain”).[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates its first record, in Latham's word list, to 1186.[1] It named a porch or gallery.[3][1]

Semantic evolution

Du Cange glosses it as a portico or atrium.[4] He quotes Matthew Paris, who speaks of dining “in the refectory or in the oriolum”, and the lives of the abbots of St Albans, where sick monks were to eat meat not in the infirmary but apart in the oriolum.[4] Köbler adds the sense “upper room”.[1]

English took it over in the mid-13th century, from Old French and Medieval Latin, as oriel, first for a portico or a small projecting room; from the mid-14th century it meant a large bay window.[2]

Timeline

  • 1186 – First record in Latham's word list, according to Köbler.[1]
  • mid-13th century – English borrows it as oriel, a portico or small projecting room.[2]
  • mid-14th century – English oriel comes to mean a bay window.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) A porch, portico or gallery.[3][4][1]
  2. (Medieval Latin) An upper room.[1]

Usage notes

The DMLBS refers oriolum to horreolum “small barn”: a 1275 account speaks of roofing a granary and an oriolum.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  2. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  4. ^ a b c du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
  5. ^ 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

Descendants

Cite this entry

“Oriolum.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/oriolum. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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