unctum

Forms

ūnctum n (genitive ūnctī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin ūnctus (“anointed, greasy”), used as a noun in the neuter;^[2][1] the adjective is the past participle of unguō (“to anoint”).^[3][4] The verb goes back to Proto-Italic *ongʷ-e- (“to anoint”) and Proto-Indo-European *h₃engʷ-e/o- (“to anoint”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Horace uses it in the Ars Poetica of a rich meal, speaking of someone who can serve one properly.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

In the early Empire it meant rich, oily food and the luxury of the table: Persius speaks of dining without it, on plain fare.^[3][6] Apuleius uses it for an ointment rubbed into the body.^[2][3]

In medieval Latin it named grease and rendered animal fat, especially lard.^[7][8] The Capitulare de villis lists it among supplies,^[8] and English records include tithes of it.^[7]

Timeline

• 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of a rich meal.^[2][3][9]
• 34–62 AD – Persius uses it of rich food.^[3][6][9]
• c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius uses it of an ointment.^[2][9]
• c. 1199 – The Lindores cartulary mentions a tithe of it and of tallow.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. Rich food; a sumptuous meal or table.^[2][3]
2. An ointment, oil for rubbing.^[2][6]
3. (Medieval Latin) Grease, rendered animal fat; lard.^[7][8]

Word family

• ūnctuōsus

Related words

• unguō
• unguentum

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
4. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
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 Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ 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
8. ^ a b c du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
9. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de