Miron

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Miron grece unguentum nam psalterium grecum ubi in nostro est unguentum habet miron et cetera.


Apparatus:

{ubi} et add. e

in nr̅o est C e | ĩ nr̅o ē AB | nr͡i hʒ f

et cetera om. B ef


Translation:

Miron is Greek for Latin unguentum {"ointment, unguent, perfume"}, for the Greek Psalter has miron where it says in our Latin translation unguentum, et cetera.


Commentary:

Greek μύρον /mýron/ means "sweet oil, unguent, perfume" (LSJ). The word Latinised is myron, myrum and was mainly used in ecclesiastical Latin. But it also occurs in Dioscorides Longobardus in the late Latin form: mirum. Simon's and the Longobardic forms reflect the late Greek sound change υ > ι {/y/ > /i/}, resulting in miron/ mirum.

Simon might have had psalm 133 in mind, which is in the Vulgate version: Juxta Lxx: Ecce quam bonum et quam jucundum {decorum Juxta Hebr.} habitare fratres in unum {uno Juxta Hebr.} sicut unguentum {optimum add. Juxta Hebr.} in capite – "See how good and how joyful is the brothers living together as one; it is like fine oil on the head". Authorised version: v.1: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is / For brethren to dwell together in unity! // v.2: It is like the precious oil (revised version: ointment) upon the head".

The Greek text is Lxx: ἸΔΟΥ δὴ τί καλὸν, ἢ τί τερπνὸν, ἀλλ' ἢ τὸ κατοικεῖν ἀδελφοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό; Ὡς μύρον ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν ... /IDOU dḕ tí kalòn, ḕ tí terpnòn, all' ḕ tò adelphoùs epì tò autó; HOs mýron epì kephalḕn …/

μύρον /mýron/ here translates Hebrew (שמן (טוב /'šemen (ṭôb)/, lit. "(good) fat, oil or ointment"

WilfGunther 01/04/2014

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