rubinus

Forms

rubīnus m (genitive rubīnī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin rubeus¹ (“red”) + -īnus, a medieval coinage;^[1][2][3] Etymonline gives the phrase ⟨rubinus lapis⟩ “red stone”.^[3] The DMLBS instead takes it from Old French rubin.^[4] The base rubeus¹ is related to ruber (“red”),^[3] which goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h1rudh-ró- (“red”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Suger's work on his administration, of 1145, where it names the ruby.^[6]

Semantic evolution

The word named the ruby, a red gem that the older glossaries equated with the carbunculus (Greek anthrax).^[2][7] Medieval writers spelled it also robinus, and used rubeus or rubetum in the same sense.^[2][6] In British inventories it appears from the 14th century among pearls and sapphires set in gold.^[4] Köbler also records an adjective rubinus “red, ruby-red”.^[6]

Through Old French rubi it gave English ruby around 1300;^[3] Italian rubino comes from the same Latin word.^[3]

Timeline

• 1145 – Suger uses it for the ruby.^[6]
• c. 1300 – English has rubi, rubie, through Old French.^[3]
• 1328 – An inventory lists a case set with pearls and rubies.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A ruby; a carbuncle.^[2][4][7][1]

Related words

• English ruby

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d 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
5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre