ambrosia Latin · revision 4016

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=Varro|origins=grc ἀμβροσία}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [amˈbrɔ.si.a]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [amˈbrɔː.s̬i.a]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ambrosia''' ''f'' (genitive ambrosiae); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|grc|ἀμβροσία|tr=ambrosía|t=immortality; food of the gods]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Saalfeld 1874) The Greek word is from [[m|grc|ἄμβροτος|tr=ámbrotos|t=immortal]].^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Varro, in his Menippean Satires, contrasts ambrosia and nectar with ordinary bread and cakes.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913) Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It was the food of the gods, as nectar was their drink, and Cicero says he does not think the gods delight in ambrosia or nectar, and Catullus calls a kiss sweeter than sweet ambrosia.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Cicero has the proverbial phrase of an orator fit to be fed on ambrosia, a god among orators.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913) Servius notes that it is elsewhere the ointment of the gods.^(TLL)

+

+ It was also a fabled healing plant, whose juice Venus sprinkles in Virgil, and the name of an antidote to poison in Celsus.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) Pliny applies it to plants, and Isidore says the Romans called it wild celery.^(OLD 2012)^(Isidore)^(Etymonline) Medieval Latin used it of divine food, of a sweet scent and of various herbs.^(MLW)^(DMLBS) English ''ambrosia'' is recorded in the 1560s.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro mentions ambrosia and nectar.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the food of the gods.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of a healing plant.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 14–37 AD – Celsus names an antidote ''ambrosia''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1560s – English ''ambrosia'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The food of the gods, [[m|en|ambrosia]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The [[m|en|ointment]] of the gods.^(TLL)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A fabled healing plant; its juice.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A plant, [[m|en|artemisia]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The name of an [[m|en|antidote]] to poison.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ambrosialis]]

+ * [[ambrosius]]

+ * [[ambrosiacus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|ambrosia]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}