porosus

Forms

porōsus (feminine porōsa, neuter porōsum, comparative porōsior); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is a medieval Latin word,^[2][3] formed from Latin porus² (“pore”) + -ōsus.^[1][3] porus² is from Ancient Greek πόρος (póros).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The DMLBS's first quotation is from Adelard of Bath's Quaestiones naturales, which says that every body is full of porous gaps: the sense is having many holes or pores.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Medieval writers on natural science and medicine used it of bodies, the skull and the ear as porous, and also figuratively; as a neuter noun it meant a porous body or substance.^[2] In Poland it described wood as unsuitable for a chalice because it is porous, and light, porous bread.^[4] It is listed in Ecclesiastical Latin as well.^[5] English borrowed it in the late 14th century, from Old French and directly from medieval Latin.^[6]

Timeline

• late 14th century – English borrows it as porous.^[6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Full of holes or pores, porous.^[2][4][5][1]

Noun

1. (neuter) A porous body or substance.^[2]

Related words

• English porous

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
5. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com