lime English · revision 15293

+ English has three words spelled lime: the calcium compound, the linden tree and the citrus fruit.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /laɪm/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ {{homograph|1|calcium oxide; birdlime}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 700|origins=ine-pro *sleyH-}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Lime, the mineral, is [[inh|enm|lim]], [[inh|ang|līm|t=sticky substance, birdlime; mortar]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from [[gem-pro|*līmą]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) cognate with [[osx|līm]], [[nl|lijm]], [[de|Leim|t=birdlime]] and [[non|lím]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from [[ine-pro|*sleyH-|t=slime, sticky]], also the source of [[la|līmus|t=mud]] (see [[slime]]).^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) It is related to [[loam]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A sticky substance, birdlime, spread on twigs to catch birds: before 700 in the OED, about 700 in Barnhart.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Mortar or cement for building is from about 725,^(OED 1989) and the alkaline earth calcium oxide, made by burning limestone or shells, from before 1000.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) Lime-kiln is from the late 13th century and limestone from before 1398.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) The verb, to cement, is Old English, and to treat land with lime from 1649.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 700 – birdlime.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 725 – mortar.^(OED 1989)

+ * before 1000 – calcium oxide.^(OED 1989)

+ * late 13th century – lime-kiln.^(Etymonline)

+ * before 1398 – limestone.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[calcium oxide|alt=Calcium oxide]], a white alkaline substance made by heating [[limestone]], or [[calcium hydroxide]]; [[quicklime]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Calcium compounds spread on land to improve the soil.^(Collins 2023)

+ # [[birdlime|alt=Birdlime]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To treat with lime, or to smear or catch with birdlime.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[limestone]]

+ * [[limelight]]

+ * [[lime-kiln]]

+ * [[quicklime]]

+ * [[birdlime]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|linden tree}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1625}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The tree is an unexplained alteration of earlier line (about 1510),^(Hoad 1986)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) itself [[inh|enm|lynde]], [[inh|ang|lind]] (see [[linden]]).^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ 1625, in Bacon's ''Essays''.^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1325 – lynde.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1510 – line.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1625 – lime.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[linden]] tree of the genus ''Tilia''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ {{homograph|3|citrus fruit}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=borrowing|attested=1638|origins=fa لیمون}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The fruit is [[bor|es|lima]] (or [[m|pt|limão]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from [[ar|لِيمَة|tr=līma|t=citrus fruit]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) probably a back-formation from [[m|ar|لِيمُون|tr=līmūn|t=lemon]], from [[fa|لیمون|tr=limun]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) It is related to [[lemon]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ 1638 in Barnhart and the OED, the 1630s in Etymonline.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Yule and Burnell thought the English got the word from the Portuguese in India.^(Etymonline) Lime-green as a colour is by 1883.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1638 – lime, the fruit.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1883 – lime green.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A small green [[citrus]] fruit with acid juice, or the tree ''Citrus aurantifolia'' that bears it.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A yellowish-green colour.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[limeade]]

+ * [[limey]]

+ * [[lime green]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[linden]]

+ * [[slime]]

+ * [[loam]]

+ * [[lemon]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}