pollen Latin · revision 6111

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|attested=Terence}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈpɔl.lɛn]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpɔl.len]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''pollen''' ''n'' (genitive pollinis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Its origin is uncertain.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Etymonline) De Vaan reconstructs an original paradigm *polen, *pollis from *polnos, perhaps [[itc-pro|*pol-ēn]].^(de Vaan 2008) Possible cognates are [[grc|πάλη|tr=pálē|t=fine flour, dust]] and [[grc|πόλτος|tr=póltos|t=porridge]], and within Latin [[puls]] “porridge”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(Etymonline) A derivation from *pelh₁- “to swing”, as in [[palea]], is very speculative, and a direct link with [[pulvis]] “dust” unlikely.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Terence, who uses it of mill dust.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Gaffiot 2016) Köbler dates Terence 190–159 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant fine flour, mill dust, as in Cato's recipes and Pliny the Elder, and by transfer any fine powder made by grinding, as of pepper in Celsus or dried fish in Mela.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Its gender was probably first masculine or feminine, later neuter, and grammarians cite a nominative ''pollis''.^(OLD 2012) From it came [[polenta]] “barley-meal”.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ In Medieval Latin it was finely ground flour.^(DMLBS) English ''pollen'' meant fine flour in the 1520s, and became the botanical term for the fertilising dust of flowers in 1760, after Linnaeus.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of mill dust.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato uses it in recipes.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 14–37 AD – Celsus uses it of ground pepper.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1760 – English ''pollen'' becomes a botanical term.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Fine [[m|en|flour]], mill dust.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # Fine [[m|en|powder]].^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[polenta]]

+ * [[pollināris]]

+ * [[pollinārius]]

+ * [[pollinium]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[puls]]

+ * [[en|pollen]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}