De fago.
Fagus, ut dicit Ysidorus, arbor est glandifera, cuius fructus dulcis est, sed nocivus pectori. Oleum vero clarissimum lampadibus amministrat. Satis admodum durum, sed vermibus penetrabile lignum eius, nisi fumo pene sit continue delibutum. Dicitur autem fagus a comestione: fage enim comedere dicitur. [Hoc lignum viride per longa tempora in aquis positum in lapidem durescere dicitur.]
- Translation
- Vocabulary
- Notes
Of the beech tree,
The beech tree, as Isidore says, is an acorn-bearing tree, the fruit of it is sweet, but it is harmful to the chest. Truly it administers the clearest oil for lamps. The wood of it is sufficiently fully hard, but is penetrable by worms, unless almost continually steeped with smoke. It is however called “beech” from “consuming”: for “fage” in fact means “to eat”. This green wood is said to harden into stone when placed for long periods in water.
Fāgus, fagī f: beech tree
Glandifer, glandifera, glandiferum adj: acorn-bearing
Nocivus, nociva, nocivum adj: harmful, injurious
Oleum, oleī n: olive oil, oil
Lampas, lampadis f: torch; brightness; lamp
Amministro, amministrare, amministravi, amministratus: to administer; to operate; to bestow
Admodum adv: to the limit; very, quite, fully
Vermis, vermis m: worm
Penetrābilis, penetrābilis, penetrābile adj: penetrating, piercing; penetrable
Lignum, lignī n: wood; log, plank; tree
Fūmus, fūmī m: smoke; fume; steam
Dēlibūtus, dēlibūta, dēlibūtum adj: anointed; defiled, smeared; steeped
Comestio, comestionis f: consuming
Comedō, comedere, comēdi, comēsus: to eat up, consume, to squander
Viridis, viridis, viride adj: green; fresh, young
Dūrēscō, dūrēscere, dūruī: to grow hard, harden: to become solid
Ysidorus: Isidore of Seville. Wrote the Etymologies which included sections upon various types of trees.
Dicitur autem… comedere dicitur: Isidore wrote that the Latin fagus came from the Greek φαγεĩν, meaning “to eat,” as the acorns born by the tree were consumed by the Romans. There is not a proven connection between the two words.