bitumen Latin · revision 33051

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=borrowing|attested=234–149 BC, Cato|origins=ine-pro *gʷet-u-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [bɪˈtuː.mɛn]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [biˈtuː.men]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''bitūmen''' ''n'' (genitive bitūminis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is ultimately [[der|ine-pro|*gʷet-u-|t=pitch, resin]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan explains it from a form ⟨*betu-⟩ that Latin must have borrowed either from Sabellic, where /gʷ/ became /b/, or from Celtic, as [[m|la|betulla|t=birch]] was;^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) Wiktionary and Etymonline favour an Osco-Umbrian source.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) The ⟨i⟩ may come from the lending language or reflect the change of /e/ to /i/ after a labial.^(de Vaan 2008) Cognate with [[sa|जतु|tr=játu|t=lac, gum]], [[ang|cwidu|t=mastic]], [[goh|cuti|t=glue]], [[non|kváða|t=resin]] and [[cy|bedw|t=birches]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan and Köbler date it from Cato,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) who has a mixture of bitumen and sulphur.^(TLL)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is a general name for mineral pitch, asphalt and related substances;^(OLD 2012) ''bitūmen liquidum'' is petroleum.^(OLD 2012) Lucretius says sulphur forms in the earth and bitumen thickens with a foul smell, and Virgil has black bitumen.^(TLL) Pliny the Elder, Tacitus and Justin describe the bitumen of Judaea and Babylon.^(Lewis & Short 1879) It was used in magic: Virgil has laurels burned with bitumen, and Horace wishes that someone may burn with love as bitumen burns with black flames.^(TLL)^(Lewis & Short 1879) The Vulgate uses it too, and Stelten gives "pitch, slime, cement" for Church Latin.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Stelten 1995) The grammarians insist on the spelling with ⟨b⟩, and the Appendix Probi has ''bitūmen nōn butūmen''.^(TLL) English borrowed it in the mid-15th century as [[m|en|bitumen]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato of a mixture with bitumen.^(TLL)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius of bitumen forming in the earth.^(TLL)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil of bitumen in magic.^(TLL)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ * 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder of the bitumen of Judaea.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ * 390–406 AD – The Vulgate of pitch.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ * mid-15th century – Borrowed into English as [[m|en|bitumen]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Mineral [[m|en|pitch]], [[m|en|asphalt]], [[m|en|bitumen]];^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995) ''bitūmen liquidum'', [[m|en|petroleum]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[bitūmineus]]

+ * [[bitūminō]]

+ * [[bitūminōsus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[betulla]]

+ * [[en|bitumen]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}