The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville - Pot-pourri

346 XVII.vii.37–vii.51 Isidore of Seville
lies the Mareotian marsh, whence ebony comes. Lucan
(Civil War 10.117)speaksof
Mareotic ebony (ebenus).
Ebony is tied onto rattles so that the sight of black things
will not frighten aninfant.
37. The plane tree (platanus) issocalledfromthe
breadth of its leaves, or because the tree itself spreads
wide (patulus)and is large, for Greeks call a broad thing
. Scripture refers to the name and shape of this
tree, saying (cf. Ecclesiasticus 24:19): “As a plane tree
(platanus)inthestreets(platea)Iwasspreadout.”Further,
its leaves are very tender and soft, and like those of
vines. 38.Thequercus,orquernus (“oak tree”), is so called
because the pagan gods would use it to make poetic predictions
for those seeking (quaerere) their responses. It
is a very long-lived tree – as one reads concerning the
oak ofMambre, under which Abraham dwelt, which is
said to have lasted for many centuries, up to the reign
of the emperor Constans. Its fruit is called the gallnut
(galla). A wild type of gallnut is called ; itis
of small size, but with a firm and knotty body, which
is used for medicines and purple inks. Another type is
; itismild and smooth and very porous, used
only for lamps.
39.Theash (fraxinus)issaid to be so called because it
prefers to grow in harsh places and mountainous breaks
(fragum). Fraxinus is derived from fragum,asmontanus
from mons.Aboutit,Ovid(Met. 10.93):
And the ash, good for spears.
40. Theyew(taxus) isapoisonoustree, and from it
the poison toxicum (cf. , “bow”)ispressed out.
The Parthians and other nations make bows from yew,
whence the poet (Vergil, Geo. 2.448):
Yews are bent into Iturean bows.
So he calls the Parthians ‘Itureans.’
41. The maple (acer) isunequaled for its colors (cf.
Ovid, Met. 10.95). Hardwood (robur) generally means
whatever is very tough of any wood. 42.Thealder (alnus)
is so called because it is ‘nourishedbyariver’(alatur
amne), for it grows very close to water, and survives
away from water with difficulty. Because it is nourished
in a damp place it is tender and soft. 43.Theelm(ulmus)
takes this name because it does better in swampy (uliginosus)and
damp (humidus) places, for it is less luxuriant
in mountainous and harsh places. 44. Thelarch (larex,
i.e. larix) was given this name from the fort Laricinum.
Boards made from it, attached to tiles, repel fire, and do
not char when burned.
45. The poplar (populus) issocalled because a multitude
grows from the base of its trunk. 13 There are two
kinds of poplar, one white, one black. The white poplar
is so called because its leaves are white on one side and
green on the other. Hence this type is bicolored, having
as it were the marks of night and day, the periods established
by sunrise and sunset. It also produces resin when
it grows by the river Po or, as others record, in the territory
of Syria. 46.Theysaythelinden(tilium)issonamed
because it is suitable to use for spears (telum)because of
its smoothness and lightness for throwing, for it is a type
of the lightest wood. 47. Thewillow (salix) issocalled
because it swiftly ‘springs up’ (salire), that is, quickly
grows: a pliant tree, suitable for binding grapevines.
They say that its seed has this property, that if anyone
should consume it in a drink, he will not have children,
and it also makes women infertile. The poplar, willow,
and linden are all soft woods and good for carving.
48. Theosier (vimen) issocalled because it has great
intensity (vis, accusative vim) ofgreenness. Its nature
is such that, even when it has dried up, as soon as it is
watered it becomes green, and then when it is cut and
fixed in the ground it puts down roots on its own. 49.The
tamarisk (myrice), which Latin speakers call tamaricus,
is named for its bitterness (amaritudo), for its taste is
very bitter. This tree grows in desolate places in stony
soil. From this tree , that is “hatred” (actually
“a hate-charm”), is said to be stirred up by witchcraft. 50.
Myrtle (myrtus) isnamed from ‘sea’ (mare), because it
is by preference a shore tree. Whence Vergil (Geo. 2.112):
Shores are happiest with myrtle (myrtetum),
and (Geo. 4.124)
Shore-loving myrtles (myrta).
Hence it is also called (i.e. )bytheGreeks.
Moreover medical texts prescribe this tree as good for
many female complaints.
51.Themastic (lentiscus)issocalled because its spike is
pliant (lentus)andsoft, since we call whatever is flexible
13 Isidore says multitudo but implies the homograph populus,
“people, multitude.”