medicamentum Latin · revision 31843

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=ine-pro *med-}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''medicāmentum''' ''n'' (genitive medicāmentī); second declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|medicō|-mentum|t1=to heal]], a noun of means, “that by which one heals”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) The verb [[m|la|medicō]] belongs with [[m|la|medeor|t=to heal]],^(de Vaan 2008) which goes back to [[itc-pro|*med-ē-]] and [[ine-pro|*med-|t=to measure]], with a shift from “measure” to “give a cure”.^(de Vaan 2008) Cognate with [[sga|midithir|t=measures, judges]], [[grc|μέδομαι|tr=médomai|t=to care for]] and [[got|𐌼𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽|tr=mitan|t=to measure]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan and Köbler date it from Plautus,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) who tells how Medea made old Pelias young again with a drug and her poisons.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is any drug given for its effect on the body, and with a genitive a drug that produces something, as Seneca's “drug of immortality”.^(OLD 2012) Cato uses it of a remedy for oxen, and Cicero figuratively of money as Verres' cure-all.^(OLD 2012) ''Malum medicamentum'' is a poison, as in the elder Seneca.^(OLD 2012) It is also a cosmetic, in Fronto, a preparation for plants, land or wine, as Columella's oil dregs that kill worms in trees, and a dye, in Seneca.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Church Latin glosses it “drug, remedy, medicine”.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of Medea's drug.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato of a remedy for oxen.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of money as a cure-all.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1st century AD – Columella of a preparation for trees.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * mid-15th century – Borrowed into English as [[m|en|medicament]], partly through Old French.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|drug]], [[m|en|medicament]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|remedy]], medicine.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''malum medicamentum'', a [[m|en|poison]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # A [[m|en|cosmetic]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # A preparation for treating plants, land or wine; a [[m|en|dye]].^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[medicāmentārius]]

+ * [[medicāmentōsus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[medeor]]

+ * [[medicus]]

+ * [[en|medicament]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}