balsamum

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek βάλσαμον (bálsamon), from Semitic, cognate with Hebrew בֹּשֶׂם (bōśem, “perfume”), Arabic بَشَام (bašām).

Noun

balsamum n (genitive balsamī); second declension

1. balsam (substance or tree); balm

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	balsamum	balsama
Genitive	balsamī	balsamōrum
Dative	balsamō	balsamīs
Accusative	balsamum	balsama
Ablative	balsamō	balsamīs
Vocative	balsamum	balsama

Derived terms

• balsameus
• balsaminus

Related terms

• opobalsamum

Descendants

• Catalan: bàlsam
• Italian: balsamo
• Old French: basme
  • French: baume
    • → English: balm
• Galician: basmo
• → Albanian: balshëm, balsam
• → English: balsam
• → Middle English: balsamum (learned)
• → Galician: bálsamo
• → Proto-West Germanic: *balsamō (see there for further descendants)
• → Gothic: 𐌱𐌰𐌻𐍃𐌰𐌽 (balsan)
• → Irish: balsam
• → Old Polish: balsam (learned) (see there for further descendants)
• → Portuguese: bálsamo
• → Romanian: balsam
• → Spanish: bálsamo

References

• “balsamum”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “balsamum”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• balsamum in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• balsamum in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• balsamom, balsamome, balsamus, balsaumus

Etymology

From Latin balsamum, from Ancient Greek βάλσαμον (bálsamon, “balsam”), of Semitic origin (compare Hebrew בושם). Doublet of bawme.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbalsamum/, /ˈbalsamus/

Noun

balsamum

1. balm of Gilead, balsam of Gilead.
2. (rare) The tree balm of Gilead originates from.

References

• “balsamum, -us, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.