Etymologically
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palmarius

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [paɫˈmaː.ri.ʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [palˈmaː.ri.us][1]

Forms

palmārius (feminine palmāria, neuter palmārium); first/second-declension adjective[1] Medieval spellings include palmerius and palmerus.[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin palma (“palm of the hand; palm tree; palm of victory”) + -ārius.[4][1][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Terence (190–159 BC) has it in the Eunuchus,[4][3] meaning deserving the palm, outstanding: id vero est quod ego mihi puto palmarium (“that is what I count as my prize stroke”).[4][5] The commentator Donatus explained it as “worthy of the palm”.[4]

Semantic evolution

Varro and Pliny the Elder name Insula Palmaria, the Isle of Palms, now Palmarola.[5] The jurist Ulpian uses the neuter palmarium for the fee promised to an advocate who wins his case,[5][4] and Priscian explains the word as “what is in the palm, that is, in praise”.[4] Cassiodorus still uses it of outstanding men.[4]

In Medieval Latin the noun meant a palmer, a pilgrim who had been to Jerusalem, and a palm tree or palm grove.[6][2] In Britain it became a byname and surname, and pila palmaria was a ball struck with the hand, and the game played with it.[2] English palmer (c. 1300) comes from it through Anglo-French.[7]

Timeline

  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of a feat deserving the prize.[4][3]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro names the Insula Palmaria.[5][3]
  • before 223 AD – Ulpian uses palmarium for an advocate's fee.[5][4][3]
  • c. 485–c. 580 AD – Cassiodorus uses it of outstanding men.[4][3]
  • before 1123 – A man named Osmer is called palmarius.[2]
  • 1237 – A record mentions two unknown palmers.[2]
  • c. 1300 – English borrows it as palmer.[7]
  • 1624 – A court record of a game called cricket mentions a pila palmaria.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Deserving the palm of victory, outstanding.[4][5]
  2. Of palm trees: Insula Palmāria, the Isle of Palms.[5][1]
  3. (Medieval Latin) Of the palm of the hand: pila palmāria, a ball struck with the hand, and the game played with it, tennis.[2]

Noun

  1. palmārium (neuter): a masterpiece, a feat deserving the prize.[5][4]
  2. palmārium (neuter): a fee promised to an advocate for winning a case.[5][4]
  3. (Medieval Latin) A palmer, a pilgrim who had been to Jerusalem.[6][2][1]
  4. (Medieval Latin) A palm tree; a palm grove.[6][2]
  5. (Medieval Latin, feminine palmāria) An embroideress.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com