The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville - Pot-pourri

332 XVI.xxii.1–xxv.4 Isidore of Seville
xxii. Lead (De plumbo) 1.Lead(plumbum)issocalled
because the depth of the sea was first tested with a ball
(pila) madeoflead.Therearetwo kinds of lead, black
lead and white lead (i.e. tin), but white is the better one. It
was first discovered in the islands of the Atlantic Ocean.
Indeed, it also occurs in Lusitania and Gallicia, where the
ground is very sandy and black in color, and heavy. Tiny
pebbles (of lead) are mingled with the sand, especially
in dried-out river beds: people wash these sands and
whatever sinks down they heat in furnaces. Dark heavy
pebbles are also found in goldmines when they have
been sluiced, and while the gold is being collected these
pebbles remain with it. Afterwards, when they have been
separated, the pebbles are melted together and resolved
into white lead. Hence the weight of lead is the same as
that of gold.
2. Blackleadisabundant around Cantabria. It originates
in two ways: either it comes forth alone from its
own vein, or it is produced with silver and is smelted from
these mixed veins of ore. The first one to liquefy in furnaces
is tin, the second, silver. Whatever remains, when
ore is added and smelted again, becomes black lead. 3.
India has neither bronze nor lead; it can only trade gemstones
and pearls for these metals. We use black lead
for pipes and sheet metal. Lead is mined laboriously in
Spain and Gaul, while in Britain it is found in the upper
crust of the ground.
xxiii. Tin (De stagno) 1.The etymology of stagnum (i.e.
either tin or a silver–lead alloy) is (“to separate”),
that is, what separates and divides. 13 It separates
metals that have become mixed up and mutually adulterated
by fire, and distinguishes bronze and lead from
gold and silver. Tin also protects other metals from fire,
and even though the nature of bronze and of iron is very
hard, if they were without tin they would be burned and
consumed. 2. Acoating of tin on bronze vessels makes
the taste more pleasing and discourages the contamination
of verdigris. Mirrors are also tempered with tin.
White lead may be made from it as from lead.
xxiv. Electrum (De electro) 1. Electrum(electrum) is
so named because it reflects in the sun’s ray more clearly
than silver or gold; for the sun is called Elector (“the
Shining One”) by poets. This metal is more refined than
all the other metals. 2. Thereare three kinds. The first
kind, which flows from pine branches (i.e. amber, the
primary meaning of electrum), is called ‘liquid electrum.’
The second, which is found naturally and held in esteem,
is ‘metallic electrum.’ The third kind is made from three
parts gold and one part silver. You will find these same
proportions if you melt natural electrum, for there is no
difference between natural electrum and manufactured;
both have the same nature. 3. Electrum that is natural
has a character such that at a banquet it gleams even
more brightly by lamplight than all the other metals. It
also reveals poison, for if you pour some poison into a
vessel made from it, it makes a harsh noise and gives off
avariety of colors like a rainbow.
xxv. Weights (De ponderibus) 1. Itishelpfultoknow
about weights and measures, for all bodies, as has been
written, are disposed and formed from the highest to the
lowest with measure and number and weight (see Wisdom
11:21). Nature gives weight to all corporeal objects,
and “each object is ruled by its own weight” (Poem about
Weights and Measures [anon.], 3). 2. FirstMoses, [who
preceded all of the pagan philosophers chronologically,
recorded for us numbers and measures and weights in
diverse places in his writing]. The Argive Phidon first
established the system of weights in Greece, and although
there were others more ancient than he, he was more
active in this art. 3.Aweight (pondus)issocalled because
it hangs (pendere) balanced in the scales, hence also the
term pensum (“something weighed”). 14 The term pondus
is loosely used for one pound (libra). 15 Hence also
the dipondius (i.e. dupondius)isnamed, as if it were duo
pondera (“two pounds”); this term has been retained in
usage up to today.
4.Atrutina (i.e. a kind of scale) is an instrument that
suspends two weighted plates from a balance-tongue.
It is made for weighing talents and hundred-pound
13 The etymology is that provided by Jerome for the Hebrew word
for tin.
14 The following are the relationships of the weights discussed
here: 1 calcus = 2 lentils; 1 obol = 2 ceratin = 3 siliquae = 4 calci; 1
scripulus = 6 siliquae; 1 drachma = 3 scripuli = 18 siliquae; 1 solidus
(sextula) = 3 tremisses = 24 siliquae; 1 duella = 2 sextulae; 1 stater
(semissis) = 3 sextulae = 3 aurei = 2 sicli = 4 drachmas; 1 ounce =
2 stateres = 8 drachmas = 24 scripuli = 4 quadrantes; 1 pound =
12 ounces; 1 mina = 25 stateres = 75 solidi = 100 drachmas = 225
tremisses = 1,800 siliquae.
15 The Roman libra is about three-fourths of the modern pound
avoirdupois. The dupondius is literally the sum of two asses, coins
originally of one Roman pound.