Camesichi

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Camesichi Plinius folia lentis habet nihil se attollentia in aridis petrosis nascens.


Apparatus:

Camesichi ABC ijp | Chamesichi ef
lentis | leucis p
nihil ABC | nichil efijp
attollentia AC jp | atollẽtia ms. e | atollẽcia ms. i | atolẽtia B | atollenam? f


Translation:

Camesichi according to Pliny has leaves like lens {“lentil”} and none of them are raised from the ground, and it grows in dry and stony habitats.


Commentary:

Simon’s entry is a quote from Pliny, Natural History, 24, 83, 134, ed. W.H.S. Jones (1938-63: VII.96).

Camesichi:
Greek χαμαισύκη /khamaisýkē/, Latinised as chamaesyce, is a compound of χαμαι- /khamai-/ “on the ground” + σύκη /sýkē/ “fig-tree”, “ground-fig”. Simon’s form Camesichi reflects several late Greek sound changes: αι > ε {/ai/ > /e/}, υ > ι {/y/ > /i/}, η > ι {/ē/ > i} resulting in the itacist pronunciation /khamesíki/. Further to this Vulgar and medieval Romance-based Latin pronounced the Greek sound represented by the letter “χ”, i.e. /kh/, as /k/ resulting in /kamesíki/, which Simon’s Camesichi is trying to transcribe. The spelling “ch” in –sichi for Greek "κ" {= /k/} is hypercorrect.


Although Pliny’s description of the plant is very short it still shows a remarkable similarity to Dioscorides’ description, which is quoted by Simon under Campsice. Also the medical indications listed by Pliny and Dioscorides, but as usual not quoted by Simon, are nearly identical. One must therefore assume that both ancient authors excerpted from the some unknown source.

The question remains whether Simon was aware that Camesichi and Campsite are ultimately the same word denoting the same plant.

For all further information see Campsice.


WilfGunther (talk) 17:42, 29 December 2016 (GMT)


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