scamnum

Forms

scamnum n (genitive scamnī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *skambno-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *skm̥bʰ-no- (“support”).^[2][1] Cognate with Sanskrit स्कम्भ (skambhá, “prop, pillar”) and Sanskrit स्कभ्नाति (skabhnā́ti, “props up”).^[2][3] The diminutive scabellum may continue an older *skab-no-.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cato uses it, listing benches in an inventory.^[3][2] Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was a stool, bench or step to a bed or seat, as in Varro, and Ovid's bench.^[3][4] In farming it was a ridge left unbroken in ploughing, and in surveying a strip of land measured from west to east.^[3][1]

In medieval Latin it was a rack, a market stall and a salt-pan.^[6] In Britain it was a bench in a court or parliament, a church pew, and a ducking stool.^[7] Its diminutive scamillus was borrowed early into Germanic as Old English scamol “stool”, the source of English shambles.^[8] It survives as Italian scanno and Spanish escaño.^[1]

Timeline

• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it.^[3][5]
• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of a step to a bed.^[4][5]
• early 15th century – English shambles “meat market” is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. A stool, bench, step.^[3][9]
2. (agriculture) An unploughed ridge.^[3][1]
3. (surveying) A strip of land measured breadthwise.^[3]
4. (Medieval Latin) A market stall; a pew.^[6][7]

Word family

• scamnārium
• scamnātus
• scabellum

Related words

• English shambles

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d 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 e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b 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
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press