zingiber

Forms

zingiber n (genitive zingiberis); third declension^[1] The OLD heads it under the Greek form zingiberi (also zimpiberi), which Pliny uses;^[2][3] other spellings are gingiber,^[3][2] zinziber^[4][5] and gingeber.^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ζιγγίβερις (zingíberis, “ginger”),^[3][4][6][1] from a Middle Indic (Prakrit) Prakrit siṃgivera.^[1][6][7] The Indic word is probably Dravidian in the end: Wiktionary derives it from Old Tamil, compare Tamil இஞ்சி (iñci, “ginger”) and Tamil வேர் (vēr, “root”),^[1][7] and Köbler likewise points to a Dravidian word for “root”.^[6] Etymonline also reports a Sanskrit explanation as “horn” + “body”, from the shape of the root, which may be a folk etymology.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Celsus (14–37 AD)^[6] is the first to use it, in his work on medicine, for ginger.^[3][4][8]

Semantic evolution

Pliny the Elder and the jurist Marcianus have the Greek form zingiberi, and Apicius and Caelius Aurelianus the spelling gingiber.^[3][4][2] In Medieval Latin it was the spice made from the root, and also zinziber viride, green ginger kept in syrup, and zinziber conditum, a conserve of ginger taken as a digestive or an aphrodisiac.^[5] From gingiber came Old English ginȝifer and so English ginger;^[7] the Romance words include Italian zenzero and Old French gingembre.^[1][8]

Timeline

• 14–37 AD – Celsus uses it in his medical work.^[3][6]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder has the form zingiberi.^[3][8][6]
• 4th century AD – Apicius has the spelling gingiber.^[3][6]
• 11th century – Old English has ginȝifer, from Late Latin gingiber.^[7]
• 1130 – A British royal account pays for pepper, cumin and ginger for the king.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. Ginger, the spice made from the root of the ginger plant.^[2][3][4][5]
2. (Medieval Latin) zinziber viride, green ginger preserved in syrup;^[5] zinziber conditum, a conserve of ginger.^[5]

Related words

• English ginger

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
4. ^ a b c d e Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ a b c d e f 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
6. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier