Printer print
← previous
Variants - Meaning - Comment - Occurrences - Etymology - Image - Research Literature
next →
Commiphora_opobalsamum

balsam

noun, n., , 15 occ.

Type: plant

Last Update: 24.08.2011 11:49

Old-English: baldsamum (n.), balsamum (n.), balzam (?), balzama (f, ?m, ?n. n-St.), balzame (f, ?m, ?n. n-St.) balsames, balsome, balzamum, balzaman, balzamum, balsami, baldsami,

Latin (Machine generated): CARPOBALSAMI, CARPOBALSAMUM, OPOBALSAMUM,

↑ top

Meaning Last Update: 11.12.2009 09:23

  • A: plant: foreign
    Balsamum de Mecca, balm of Gilead, Mekkabalsam
↑ top

Comment Last Update: 08.11.2011 09:39

  • Comment on (A): Balsamum de Mecca, balm of Gilead, Mekkabalsam

    The drug is the resin of Commiphora opobalsamum (Le Moine) Engl., balm of Gilead, Balsamstrauch. The glosses verbally translate (cf. Andrè 1985, s.v.): "CARPOBALSAMUM [...] fruit du Baumier"; and Klotz (1879, s.v.): "OPOBALSAMUM [...] Balsamsaft, der selbst aus der Balsamstaude hervorquillt oder aus der angeritzten Rinde sich ergießt".

    The identification with 'Melissa officinalis L.; balm; Melisse' in Bierbaumer (1976) has to be revoked, on this topic also cf. Meaney (1978,68) and Deegan (1988,326).

↑ top

Occurrences Last Update: 04.06.2009 17:31

  • Alex, 34.4 wæs seo stow rum & wynsumo & balzamum & recels ðær wæs genihtsumnis
  • Alex, 36.1 ða ongon ic geornlicor þa stowe sceawigan, & geond þa bearwas & treowu gongan þa geseah ic þær balzamum þæs betstan stences genoh of þæm treowum ut weallan
  • Alex, 36.3 þæt balzamum ægþer ge ic ge mine geferan þær betwih þæm rindum noman þæra trio
  • Alex, 39.3 & irenes & leades þa men on þæm londum wædliað & goldes genihtsumiað & be ðæm balzamum þa men in þæm londe lifgeað
  • AntK, 127, 15 OPOBALSAMUM balsames tear
  • AntK, 127,13 CARPOBALSAMI balsames blæd
  • Bede 3, 6.174.28 þa cwom of inneweardre þære byrgenne swa micel swetnisse stenc, þætte eallum þam higum þuhte, þe þær ætstodon, swa swa mon hordærn ontynde <ða> balsami & þara deorwyrðestena wyrta & þara swetestena þara þe in middangearde wæron
  • HlOl, C 361 CARPOBALSAMUM balsames blæd
  • LB, 52/29 gsg balzaman
  • LB, 87/12 gsg balzaman
  • LB, 87/22 dsg balzame
  • LB, 9/34 gsg balsami
  • LB, 9/38f asg baldsamum
  • Marv, 19.2 of ðam treowum balsamum se deorweorðesta ele bið eall kenned
  • Scrib 1, 1.4 eac biscepas æt heora bisceopstole sæcgað larspel þonne hi lædað in penitentes, & hi doð absolutionem, & sume sæcgað spell of þære crismhalgunge & of þæm balsome.
↑ top

Image Last Update: 24.08.2011 11:49

Balsamum de Mecca, balm of Gilead, Mekkabalsam
Commiphora_opobalsamum

Botanical-Information: stylised plate

Source: →reference-information

↑ top

Research Literature

AntK: Kindschi, Lowell. The Latin-Old English Glossaries in Planton-Moretus Manuscript 43 and British Museum Manuscript Additional 32,246. Unpubl. diss. Stanford University: 1955.
BW I: Bierbaumer, Peter. Der botanische Wortschatz des Altenglischen. Grazer Beiträge zur Englischen Philologie 1. Bern, Frankfurt am Main: Lang, 1975.
BW III: Bierbaumer, Peter. Der botanische Wortschatz des Altenglischen. Grazer Beiträge zur Englischen Philologie 3. Frankfurt am Main, Bern, Las Vegas: Lang, 1979.
DOE: Cameron, Angus, Ashley Crandell Amos, Antonette di Paolo Healey, et al. (eds.). Dictionary of Old English (A to G). CD-Rom. Toronto: Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies for the Dictionary of Old English Project, 2008.
Hl: Oliphant, Robert Thompson. The Harley Latin-Old English Glossary. Edited from British Museum MS Harley 3376, Janua Linguarum, Series Practica XX. The Hague: Mouton, 1966.
LA, Lor: Grattan, John Henry Grafton, and Charles Singer. Anglo-Saxon Magic and Medicine. London: Oxford Univ. Press, 1952.
LB: Cockayne, Oswald Thomas (ed.). "Leech Book." In: Leechdoms, Wortcunning and Starcraft of Early England. Being a Collection of Documents, for the Most Part never before Printed, Illustrating the History of Sience in this Country before the Norman Conquest. Vol. 2. Rev. Ed. by Charles Singer. London: Longman [et. al.], 1961. 1-360.
LB: Leonhardi, Günther. Kleinere angelsächsische Denkmäler I. Bibliothek der ags. Prosa VI. Hamburg: Grand, 1905.
WW, Prosp, Br: Wright, Thomas. Anglo-Saxon and Old English Vocabularies. 2nd ed. by Richard Paul Wülcker. Reprint of the 1884 ed. published by Trübner, London. Vol. 1: Vocabularies. Vol. 2: Indices. New York: Gordon, 1976.
Bonser, Wilfrid. The Medical Background of Anglo-Saxon England. London: Wellcome Historical Medical Library, 1963.
Cameron, Malcolm Lawrence. Anglo-Saxon Medicine. Cambridge Studies in Anglo-Saxon England. 7. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.
Deegan, Marilyn. A Critical Edition of MS. B.L. Royal 12.D.XVII: Bald's 'Leechbook'. Diss. Univ. of Manchester. 1988.
Hagen, Ann. A Second Handbook of Anglo-Saxon Food & Drink: Production & Distribution. First publ. 1995. Hock-wold cum Wilton, Norf.: Anglo-Saxon Books, 1995.
Hankins, Freda Richards. Bald's 'Leechbook' Reconsidered. Diss. Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 1993.
Miller, T. The Old English Version of Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People. 4 vols. EETS 95, 96, 110, 111. Repr. of 1890-98. New, York, NY: Kraus, 1978.
MS London, British Library, Royal 12 D.xvii.
MS Antwerp, Plantin-Moretus Museum, 47.
MS London, British Library, Add. 32246.
MS London, British Library, Harley 3376.
Orchard, Andy. Pride and prodigies: studies in the monsters of the Beowulf-manuscript. Cambridge: Brewer, 1995.
Rubin, Stanley. Medieval English Medicine. Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1974.
Sauer, Hans. Patterns of loan-influence on the Medieval English plant names, with special reference to the influence of Greek. In: Foreign Influences on Medieval English, Eds. Jacek Fisiak, and Magdalana Bator. Studies in English medieval language and literature. 28. Frankfurt/Main: Lang, 2011. 55-76.
Wright, Cyril E. (ed.). Bald's Leechbook. Early English manuscripts in facsimile. 5. Kopenhagen: Rosenkilde & Bagger, 1955.