The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville - Pot-pourri

308 XV.ii.41–iii.9 Isidore of Seville
idea of the lifting of sorrow, because the Greeks called it
(cf. ,“cast away”; ,“grief”), since
it takes away one’s anxiety of spirit. Gymnasiums (gymnasium)are
so called because there athletes are trained,
with their bodies anointed and massaged, for
in Greek means “training” in Latin. 41.Adressing-room
(apodyterium), where the clothes of bathers are left, is
named for ‘disrobing,’ for in Greek means “disrobe.”
42. Propina is a Greek word, which now among us
has been corrupted to popina.Itisaplacenext to a public
bath where after bathing one may be refreshed of one’s
hunger and thirst. From this are named both propina
and propinare (“to drink a toast”), for in Greek
means “hunger” – because this place relieves hunger.
43. ‘Stalls’ formerly referred to the small buildings
belonging to the common people, humble and simple
neighborhood buildings that could be closed by planks
and boards. From this also comes the word ‘shop girl’
(tabernaria), because there she usually would sit. They
are called stalls (taberna)becausetheyareconstructedof
boards (tabula)and planks; even though they no longer
look this way now they still retain the original name.
44.Ameat-market (macellum)issocalledbecause there
livestock is slaughtered and put up for sale to merchants.
45.Amarket (mercatum) takes its name from commerce
(commercium), for there things would be bought and
sold. Likewise a custom house (teloneum) isthename
of the place where the revenue of ships and the wages
of sailors are paid, for there sits the tax collector who
will set a price on things and demand it aloud from the
merchants. 46. Aprison is a place that we are prohibited
from leaving, and it is called prison (carcer) from
‘confining’ (coercere). [Hence Fronto (fr. 12): “And they
seemed to revel like the Greeks in pleasant places rather
than ‘to be confined in prison’ (coerceri carcere).”]
iii. Dwelling-places (De habitaculis) 1. Ahabitation
(habitatio) issocalledfrom ‘having’ (habere), as in
(Vergil, Ecl. 2.29):
To inhabit (habitare, the frequentative of habere)
cottages.
‘House’ (domus) isnamedfromaGreekterm,forthe
Greeks call ashelter. Ahouse is the dwelling of
one family, as a city is of one population, as the world is
the domicile (domicilium) ofthe whole human race. 2.
The ancients called every edifice (aedificium)abuilding
(aedes). Some think ‘building’ (aedes)took its name from
‘eating’ (edere)something, giving an example from Plautus
(cf. The Little Carthaginian 529):
If Ihad called you into the building (aedes) for lunch.
Hence also edifice (aedificium), because it was first ‘made
for eating’ (ad edendum factum). 3. Acourt(aula) is
aroyal house, or a spacious dwelling enclosed by four
colonnades. 4. Anatrium(atrium) isalargebuilding,
or a very roomy and spacious house, and it is called an
atrium because three (tres, neutertria) colonnades are
added to it on the outside. Others say it is ‘atrium’ as if
blackened (ater,neut.atrum)byfire and a lamp, for the
blackening is caused by smoke. 5. Apalace (palatium)
is named after Pallas, prince of the Arcadians, in whose
honor the Arcadians built the town Pallanteum, and they
called the royal palace that they founded in his name
‘Palatium.’
6. They say the bedroom (thalamus, also “bridal
chamber”) is so named for this reason: when the Sabine
women were abducted by the Romans, one of them,
more noble than the others in appearance, was abducted
and greatly admired by all, and it was the response of
an oracle that she be married to the general Thalamon.
Because this marriage had gone happily, it was established
that in every wedding the name thalamus would
be repeated. The Egyptians also, in their own tongue,
name those places in which newlyweds go down and
lie together thalamus. 7.The dining room (coenaculum)
is named from the gathering (communio; cf. ,
“common”; cena, “dinner”) at dinner; hence also the
cloister (coenobium)isagathering (congregatio). Indeed,
the ancients used to dine in public and in common, nor
was anyone’s feast private, lest the delicacies taken in
secret should beget luxuriousness. 8. The“formal dining
room” (triclinium) isthe dining room named after
the three couches for those reclining there. Thus among
the ancients, in the place where the furniture for a dinner
party was arranged, three couches were set up on
which those reclining would feast. In Greek means
“bed” or “couch,” from which it developed that one
would say triclinium. 9. Achamber (cella) issocalled
because it hides and conceals (celare) us. A sleepingchamber
(cubiculum) issonamed because there we lie
down (cubare) and rest while sleeping. Likewise a bed
(cubile) isaplaceforsleeping. A privy (secessus) isso