Middle English Dictionary Entry
ōcimum n.
Entry Info
| Forms | ōcimum n. Also osmun, occimus, ozim(um, ozimus. |
| Etymology | L |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: In the print MED the examples glossed by 'mistel' etc. (then in sense (b)) were identified unqualifiedly with basil (interpreting the English or quasi-English word based on the predominant sense of the Latin); DMLBS conversely identifies the Latin word as denoting the plant 'mistletoe' when considering the same and similar examples, thereby interpreting the Latin word based on the predominant sense of the English 'mistel' or 'misteltoe'. In some examples, at least, the latter is more likely to be correct (the description of the plant 'osinum, þat men clepe mistilto' in Agnus Castus, for example ("long lewys and .. growith on trees"), is indisputable a description of Viscum album"). For attempts to break out of this circle, and to account for the original misidentification, which goes back to Old English glosses, see the long note in OED, s.v. mistle n., and in P. Bierbaumer, Der botanische Wortschatz des Altenglischen, vol. 3, pp. 172-3.
1.
?The European mistletoe Viscum album [though an Anglicization of Latin ocimum, ozimum, etc. (which in the Latin tradition generally refers to the herb basil Ocimum basilicum), in the minds of the glossators who employed 'mistel' as a gloss, it very probably meant mistletoe].
Associated quotations
- [ c1225 Wor.Bod.Gloss.(Hat 76)21 : Mystel, ocimum: mistel. ]
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)107.80/1 : Þeos wurt, þat man ocimum & oþrum nama mistel nemned..leȝe to þan anwlitan.
- a1500 *Agnus Castus [OD col.] (Bod 536)lf.30b : Osmun, i. mystyl, þe leues byn euenlonge.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f.4ra : Plinius seith þat þe vertu of occimus is vnknowen, & he aleggeth Crisip': it noyeth þe stomak, it dulleth & dedeth the eyne & þe sigth; he þat ete it, it maketh wood.
- c1400 Daniel *Herbal (Arun 42)f.35r : Plinius iunior in 4 b. of medicyns seyth þat oppynyon of þe vertuys of occimus is vnknowyn among lechis. And as he alleggith Crisippus, þat was an auctor byforn his days: It noyeth þe stomac, it dullith & dymmyth þe eyȝen & þe syȝt. It maketh hym þat et it wod.
Note: This paragraph in Daniel appears under his entry for 'Aaron' (i.e., for the most part, Cuckoopint Arum maculatum, and that may be the plant denoted here by 'occimus' -- though that word in the Latin tradition generallly, and in Pliny, the ultimate source (Naturalis Historia XX.xlviii (119-124)), definitely, refers to sweet basil Ocimum basilicum. The fact that in the English glossarial tradition 'ocimum' appears to refer to mistletoe, Viscum album, seems not pertinent.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f.24va : Apotecariis qwan thei rede 'ozimum,' thei take boþe seed & erbe.
- c1400 Daniel *Herbal (Arun 42)f.44r : Ozimus gariofilat hath litle leuys, colour bytwene grene & ȝelwe, odor lik garyofle, & smal blak sed. It is hot & drye in þe ende of þe 3 gre. And þis basilicon or þis ozimus is helpe for cold stomac & makeþ to fyen wel grosse fode.
- c1400 Daniel *Herbal (Arun 42)f.44r : As seith Serapyon, þer ben 2 manere of basilicon .. basilicon terrestris, or ozimus terrestris, & basilicon or ozimus fluuialis or aquatica, basilicon or ozimus of þe londe, or ellys basilicon or ozimus gariofilat, & basilicon or ozimus of þe water.
- c1400 Daniel *Herbal (Arun 42)f.44r : Of basilicon comown or of basilicon or ozym comown or maryn, of þe water, þat is al on.
Note: Here ~ gariofilat is fairly clearly basil or at least a member of the basil family, as probably is ~ comun; ~ marin, 'Ozimus of the water,' remains unidentified.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1400 Daniel *Herbal (Arun 42)f.44r : Ozimus .. Gariofilatus .. is an erbe with smale leuys & [Ozimus] citryn .. longe as hath citrulus.
Note: ~ citrin, another medicinal plant, perhaps lemon basil Ocimum X citriodorum or Ocimum X africanum. The passage in Daniel appears to be a garbled rendering of Circa Instans (Platearius). Disentangled, the entire passage would appear to distinguish between two varieties of basil (ocimus, basilicon), O. gariofilatus (probably common or perhaps small-leaved Greek basil, 'with a sweet odor...like chives'; and O. citrin, possibly the Asian culinary standby lemon basil, with longer leaves. A speculatively disentangled version of the entire passage might look like this: "Plateare þus: Ozimus þat in anoþer name is called basilicon is hot & drye;. Þer arn 2 manere of Ozimus. '[Ozimus] (basilicon) Gariofilatus' is an erbe with smale leuys & sote odor as haþ gariofilus ; '[Ozimus] citryn' [is an erbe with] longe [leuys] as hath citrulus. But [O.] gariofil[at]us is of more effecte. Constantyn: Þat [ozimus] gariofil[at]us is hot in j gre & drye in 2, but [ozym] citryn is hot & drye in j gre. "