The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville - Pot-pourri

236 XI.i.72–i.88 Isidore of Seville
72. Thenails(ungula) wecall by this name from the
Greek, for they call a fingernail .
The torso (truncus)isthemiddle part of the body from
the neck to the groin. Nigidius says of it(fr. 108): “The
head is held up by the neck, the torso is sustained by the
hipbones, the knees, and the legs.” 73.TheGreeks called
the front of the torso from the neck to the stomach the
thorax; this is what we call the chest (arca), because in that
place is a hidden (arcanus), that is, a secret thing, from
which other people are shut out (arcere). From this also a
strong box (arca) andanaltar (ara) derive their names,
as if the words meant ‘secret things.’ The protruding,
fleshy parts of the chest are called the breasts (mamilla),
and between them the bony part is the pectus, and what
is to its right and left are the ribs (costa). 74. Itiscalled
pectus,because it is ‘flattened down’ (pexus)betweenthe
protruding parts, the breasts. The word comb (pecten)is
also derived from this, because it makes the hair flattened
down. The breasts (mamilla)are so called, because they
are as round as apples (malum); it is a diminutive term.
75.The nipples are the tips of the breasts, which nursing
infants grasp. And they are called nipples (papilla)
because it appears as if infants were eating (pappare)
them while they suck milk. The breast (mamilla) is
accordingly the whole protrusion of the female breast,
the nipple only the small part from which milk is drawn.
76.The female breasts (uber)are so called, either because
they are abundant (ubertus) with milk, or because they
are moist (uvida), that is to say, filled with the liquid
of the milk as iftheyweregrapes(uva). 77. Milk(lac)
derives the meaning of its name from its color, because
it is a white liquid: for in Greek means “white.” It
becomes what it is through a transformation of blood,
for after birth, if any blood is not consumed as nourishment
in the womb, it flows along a natural passageway to
the breasts and, whitened due to their special property,
it takes on the quality of milk.
78. Theskin (cutis) isthat which is uppermost in the
body, so called, because in covering the body it is the
first to suffer from an incision, for in Greek, means
“incision.” 3 It is also called pellis (i.e. another word for
“skin”), because it repels (pellere)external injuries from
the body by covering it, and it endures rain, wind, and
the fierce heat of the sun. 79. Pellis,however,istheword
used for skin soon after stripping, while skin that has
been treated is called ‘hide.’ It is called hide (corium)by
derivation from flesh (caro), because flesh is covered by
it, but properly speaking the word is used in reference
to brute beasts. 80. Thewordforthepores(porus) of
the body is Greek – these in Latin properly are called
air-passages (spiramentum), because through them the
enlivening breath (spiritus)issupplied from the outside.
81. Arvina is the fat that adheres to the skin. A ‘fleshy part’
(pulpa) isflesh without fat, so called because it pulsates
(palpitare): for it often quivers. Many also call it viscus
(“flesh”; cf. the homophone viscus,“birdlime”) because
it is sticky.
82. Thelimbs (membrum) aretheparts of the body.
The joints (artus), with which the limbs are connected,
are so called from ‘drawing together’ (artare). 83. The
sinews (nervus) aresocalled through a derivation from
the Greek, as they call a sinew .Others believe that
‘sinews’ comes from Latin, because the connections of
the joints attach (inhaerere) tothemeachinturn.But
this much is certain: the sinews constitute the greatest
part of the substance of strength, for the thicker they are,
the more they are disposed to augment strength. 84.The
joints (artus)are so called because, being bound to each
other by the tendons, they are ‘drawn together’ (artare),
that is, they are bound tight. The diminutive form of
artus is articulus; weuse the word artus in reference to
main limbs, like the arms, but the word articulus in reference
to minor limbs like the fingers. 85. Theheads of
the bones are called compago,because they hold together
through being connected (compingere, ppl. compactus)
with sinews as if with a kind of glue.
86. Thebones (os, gen.ossis) arethefirm parts of
the body. They support all postures of the body and
give it strength. The bones are so called from burning
(urere,ppl. ustus), because they would be cremated by the
ancients; or, as others believe, from mouth (os), because
there they are visible, while in the rest of the body they
are hidden, covered by skin and flesh. 87.‘Bonemarrow’
(medulla) issocalled, because it moistens (madefacere)
the bones, for it supplies fluid and strengthens them.
The vertibulum is the end point of a bone, rounded in
athicker knot; it is so called because it is turned (vertere)
when the limb is bent. 88. Cartilage consists of soft
bones without bone marrow, the kind that the ear, the
septum, and the ends of the ribs have, or also the covering
of bones, which moves. And it is called cartilage
3 AGreekword is not otherwise known. Latin cutis is in fact
cognate with Greek , “skin, hide”; , “hollow, vessel.”