pollen

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈpɔl.lɛn]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpɔl.len]^[1]

Forms

pollen n (genitive pollinis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

Its origin is uncertain.^[2][3] De Vaan reconstructs an original paradigm *polen, *pollis from *polnos, perhaps Proto-Italic *pol-ēn.^[2] Possible cognates are Ancient Greek πάλη (pálē, “fine flour, dust”) and Ancient Greek πόλτος (póltos, “porridge”), and within Latin puls “porridge”.^[2][4][3] A derivation from *pelh₁- “to swing”, as in palea, is very speculative, and a direct link with pulvis “dust” unlikely.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Terence, who uses it of mill dust.^[2][5] Köbler dates Terence 190–159 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant fine flour, mill dust, as in Cato's recipes and Pliny the Elder, and by transfer any fine powder made by grinding, as of pepper in Celsus or dried fish in Mela.^[4][7] Its gender was probably first masculine or feminine, later neuter, and grammarians cite a nominative pollis.^[4] From it came polenta “barley-meal”.^[2]

In Medieval Latin it was finely ground flour.^[8] English pollen meant fine flour in the 1520s, and became the botanical term for the fertilising dust of flowers in 1760, after Linnaeus.^[3]

Timeline

• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of mill dust.^[5][6]
• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it in recipes.^[7][6]
• 14–37 AD – Celsus uses it of ground pepper.^[4][6]
• 1760 – English pollen becomes a botanical term.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. Fine flour, mill dust.^[4][7]
2. Fine powder.^[4]

Word family

• polenta
• pollināris
• pollinārius
• pollinium

Related words

• puls
• English pollen

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ 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