apium Latin · revision 34303

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=derivation|attested=70–19 BC, Virgil|origins=la apis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [ˈa.pi.ũː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [ˈaː.pi.um]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''apium''' ''n'' (genitive apiī or apī); second declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[der|la|apis|t=bee]],^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Köbler 2010) because bees were thought to like the plant;^(Wiktionary)^(Georges 1913) the TLL calls the derivation likely.^(TLL) De Vaan finds no accepted etymology for [[m|la|apis]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ Isidore of Seville derived it from [[apex]], because the heads of those celebrating a triumph were once crowned with it.^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler's earliest source is Virgil,^(Köbler 2010) who names it in the ''Georgics'' and the ''Eclogues''.^(Conte 2010)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It names several plants, especially [[m|en|celery]], also [[m|en|parsley]].^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its leaves were used for garlands, above all at drinking parties: Horace has the long-lasting ''vīvāx apium''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913) Among the Greeks it was the prize at the Isthmian and Nemean games, as Juvenal mentions.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913) Pliny the Elder distinguishes several kinds.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913) In medieval Britain it named celery or parsley and other umbelliferous plants such as alexanders, water dropwort and lovage.^(DMLBS) Italian ''appio'' continues it,^(Conte 2010) and botany keeps it as the genus name of celery, ''Apium graveolens''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil names the plant.^(Conte 2010)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 65–8 BC – Horace mentions garlands of it.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder describes its several kinds.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 67–c. 127 AD – Juvenal mentions it as a prize in Greek games.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A name for several umbelliferous plants, especially [[m|en|celery]], also [[m|en|parsley]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' [[m|en|alexanders|alt=Alexanders]], water dropwort, [[m|en|lovage]] and similar plants.^(DMLBS)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[apiacius]]

+ * [[apiacus]]

+ * [[apiatus]]

+ * [[apiastrum]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[apis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}