The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville - Pot-pourri

350 XVII.ix.4–ix.16 Isidore of Seville
of ear, very fragrant, resembling galingale. If it stays long
in one’s mouth it dries out the tongue. Celtic spikenard
takes its name from a territory in Gaul, yet it grows
more abundantly in the Ligurian Alps as well as in Syria;
it is a small bush whose roots are gathered into handfuls
with cords. Its flower is only good for its scent; its
stalks and little roots are considered good for human
uses.
4. Costum is the root of an herb growing in India,
Arabia, and Syria, but the best is Arabian. It is white
and light in weight, sweet, of pleasant scent; the Indian
type is black and light like a hollow stalk, whereas the
Syrian is heavy, colored like boxwood, bitter in odor –
but the best is white, light in weight, dry, and fiery in
taste. 5. The ‘saffron crocus’ (crocum) isnamedfrom
the Cilician town called Corycium, although it also is
found in other places, but not as much or of such quality
as in Cilicia – whence it takes its name from the more
important region. Indeed, many things have taken their
names from places where they are more prevalent or
are better in some way. The best saffron is that which
is fresh, good-smelling, not pale, of extended length,
whole and not crumbled into pieces, good to breathe,
and when it is grasped staining one’s hands, and stinging
slightly. If it is not found in this condition you may
know that it is old or diluted. Itisadulterated by mixing
with the dregs of saffron oil. Also in order to augment
saffron’s weight ground-up litharge is added. These
things are revealed if the saffron is found to be covered
with dust and if, when boiled down, it has lost its
proper scent. 6. Crocomagma (‘saffron dregs’; cf. magma,
“dregs of an unguent”) is made when aromatic fluids are
pressed out from saffron (crocinus) ointmentandthe
sediment is shaped into little cakes, and therefore it is so
called.
7. Hazelwort (asarum) grows on shady mountains,
with flowers like those of casia (see viii.12 above). They
have a purple flower next to the root, in which a seed
like a grape-seed is contained. It has many very slender
and good-smelling roots, and its character is like nard’s.
Valerian (phu) grows along the Pontus (i.e. the Black
Sea), with leaves like wild olive. 8. Galingale (cyperum)
is so called by the Greeks because of its hot quality (cf.
, “fire”). Its root is like that of a triangular rush, its
leaves like a leek’s, its roots black or close to the color
of olive roots, and it is very odoriferous and sharp. It
grows inswamps and empty places. There is said to be
another species of galingale that grows in India and is
called zinziber (“ginger”) in their language.
9. TheIllyrian iris (iris) tookitsname from its likeness
to the heavenly Iris (i.e. the rainbow). For this reason
Latin speakers call it arcumen, because its flower, in its
variety of color, imitates that heavenly bow (arcus). It is
called Illyrian because it is most abundant and fragrant
in Illyria. In appearance it has leaves like the gladiolus,
and it has an aromatic root that is good-smelling. 10. Acorum
(perhaps ‘sweet flag’) has leaves similar to the iris,
and roots of a very sharp but pleasant scent, for which
reason it is also a spice. Meu ...Cardamom (Cardamomum)...11.Thesquinum
(i.e. schoenum,akind of rush)
that grows at the Euphrates is better than that in Arabia,
tan-colored, abounding in flowers, purple, slender;
it smells like a rose when it is crumbled in one’s hands,
and when tasted it is fiery and biting on the tongue.
Its flower is called (“flower of rush”),
for ‘flower’ is in Greek (cf. , “rush”). 12.
Thyme (thymum) issocalled because its flower gives
off a fragrance (cf. ,“offer by burning”; “to
burn incense”). About this, Vergil (Geo. 4.169):
The fragrant honey smells of thyme (thymum).
13. Epithymum (i.e. a parasitic plant growing on
thyme) is a Greek name, which in Latin is called ‘flower
of the thyme’ (flos thymi), for the thyme flower in Greek
is (and cf. , “upon”).Itisaflower resembling
‘Cretan thyme’ (thymbra).
14.Marjoram (sampsuchus), which Latin speakers call
amaracus, aname that Vergil uses to refer to Venus (cf.
Aen. 1.693):
Where the soft marjoram (amaracus), embraces him
with shade.
This herb is good for perfumes. It took its name from
the page of a certain king who, having accidentally fallen
when he was carrying perfumes, created a new and very
pleasant scent from their mixing together. 15. Hyacinth
(hyacinthus) isaplant that has a purple flower. It took
its name from a certain noble boy who was found killed
in a glade among purple flowers; the misfortune of this
child’s death gave its name to the plant. In root and flower
it resembles an onion, and it delays puberty in boys.
16. The plant narcissus (narcissus) hasaname given in
the myth of a certain boy whose limbs were transformed
into this flower. The flower both keeps Narcissus’s name