alior

Forms

alior m (plural aliori)^[1]

Etymology

It is probably inherited from Latin aureolus (“golden”), from aurum (“gold”), after the plant's yellow flowers.^[2][3][4][5] This was proposed by Candrea in 1928, who compared Occitan auriol, and is followed by CADE, Ciorănescu and DEX.^[2][3] Todoran (1988) derived it instead from areu, another regional name of the same plants.^[3][6] Hasdeu traced it to helleborus (“hellebore”), which Pușcariu accepted as possible while finding the sounds unclear.^[2][3] Candrea–Densusianu took it for a diminutive of ai “garlic”, and Laurian and Massim and the Lexicon de la Buda gave Latin allium.^[3][7] The DA and Tiktin leave it unexplained.^[8][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is from 1783, in Benkő, for spurges of the genus Euphorbia.^[3][6] The Lexicon de la Buda of 1825 names Euphorbia esula.^[7]

Semantic evolution

The name covers several spurges, plants with a milky, poisonous sap.^[4][8] DA's sources apply it to Euphorbia esula, Euphorbia helioscopia, Euphorbia cyparissias and Euphorbia palustris.^[8] Tiktin also records it for motherwort.^[6] Peasant women dyed Easter eggs and homespun cloth yellow with it, and it was drunk with warm water as a purgative.^[9][10] It is common in the opening line of folk songs, „Frunză verde alior” “green leaf of spurge”.^[9]

Timeline

• 1783 – Benkő, the first record.^[3][6]
• 1825 – Euphorbia esula in the Lexicon de la Buda.^[7]
• 1886-1898 – Hasdeu's article, with folk songs from Moldavia and Bukovina.^[9][11]
• 1929 – Panțu's plant dictionary, for Euphorbia cyparissias and Euphorbia amygdaloides.^[12]

Meanings

Noun

1. spurge, a name of several species of Euphorbia with a milky, poisonous sap, such as laptele-câinelui and laptele-cucului.^[4][11][1]
2. Cypress spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias), with narrow leaves and yellow flowers, growing on dry hills and sandy fields.^[11][12]
3. Sun spurge (Euphorbia helioscopia).^[11][8]
4. (Bukovina) Wood spurge (Euphorbia amygdaloides).^[11][12]

Related words

• areu
• laptele-câinelui
• Latin aureolus

Usage notes

The regional variants include aleur (Muntenia), aleor (Moldavia), aior and arior.^[11][8]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Ciorănescu, Alexandru (1958–1966), Diccionario etimológico rumano, La Laguna: Universidad de La Laguna (Romanian ed.: Dicționarul etimologic al limbii române, București: Saeculum, 2001), p. s.v. alior
3. ^ a b c d e f g Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2011–), Dicționarul etimologic al limbii române (DELR), vol. I: A–B (2011), vol. II: C (2015–2018), București: Editura Academiei Române; continued online at delr.lingv.ro, p. s.v. areu
4. ^ a b c DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 30
5. ^ Candrea, I.-A.; Adamescu, Gh. (1926–1931), Dicționarul enciclopedic ilustrat „Cartea Românească”, București: Cartea Românească, p. s.v. alior
6. ^ a b c d e Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. alior
7. ^ a b c Lesicon românescu-latinescu-ungurescu-nemțescu quare de mai mulți autori, în cursul a trideci și mai multor ani s-au lucrat (1825), Buda: Typographia Universității (the Lexicon of Buda, ed. Petru Maior et al.), p. 15
8. ^ a b c d e Academia Română (1913–1949), Dicționarul limbii române (DA), ed. Sextil Pușcariu, tom I (A–B, C, D–De) and tom II (F–I, J–Lojniță), București: Socec / Universul / Monitorul Oficial și Imprimeriile Statului; page scans at cflr-scans.solirom.ro, p. s.v. alior
9. ^ a b c Hasdeu, B. P. (1886–1898), Etymologicum Magnum Romaniae: dicționarul limbei istorice și poporane a românilor, 4 vols. (A–Bărbat), București: Socec, p. s.v. alior
10. ^ Șăineanu, Lazăr (1929), Dicționar universal al limbei române, 6th ed., Craiova: Scrisul Românesc, p. 18
11. ^ a b c d e f Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 43
12. ^ a b c Panțu, Zach. C. (1929), Plantele cunoscute de poporul român. Vocabular botanic cuprinzând numirile române, franceze, germane și științifice, 2nd ed., București: Editura Casei Școalelor, p. 5