legumen Latin · revision 35845

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=derivation|attested=116–27 BC, Varro|origins=la legō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

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

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

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''legūmen''' ''n'' (genitive legūminis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is usually taken as [[af|la|legō#2|-men|t1=to gather]].^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) The derivation goes back to Varro, who says that pulses are pulled from the earth and not cut, and are named because they are gathered in this way.^(OLD 2012)^(TLL) The TLL doubts it, since the narrow meaning and the ⟨-ū-⟩ are hard to explain,^(TLL) and Wiktionary calls the origin uncertain, noting that the word might instead be a loanword without known cognates.^(Wiktionary) [[m|la|legō#2]] goes back to [[itc-pro|*leg-e-]] and [[ine-pro|*leǵ-e/o-|t=to collect]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is found first in Varro, who uses it of leguminous plants and explains the name.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It named leguminous plants and pulse, and was extended to other plants with edible seeds:^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Cicero praises the earth heavy with crops and every kind of pulse, and Virgil has the bean rattling in its pod.^(OLD 2012)^(Conte 2010) Georges notes that in its widest sense it covered any field crop eaten cooked or crushed, even barley.^(Georges 1913) From the plant it passed to its fruit, the pulse itself: Caesar's soldiers did not refuse barley or pulse.^(OLD 2012)^(Conte 2010) The singular was also used collectively.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it means a vegetable or bean.^(Stelten 1995) It continues in Italian ''legume''^(Conte 2010) and was borrowed into English, first in the Latin form in Middle English and later from French as [[m|en|legume]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of leguminous plants.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of every kind of pulse.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of pulse as food.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of the bean.^(Georges 1913)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1670s – English borrows [[m|en|legume]] from French.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|leguminous]] plant, [[m|en|pulse]]; also other plants with edible seeds.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # The fruit of such a plant, pulse; a [[m|en|bean]].^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[legūminārius]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|legume]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}