Terebintus
Terebintus Plinius ex ea est mascula et sine fructu, feminarum duo genera alteri fructus rubet lentis magnitudine alteri palidus cum vite maturescit non grandior faba odore iocundior tactu resinosus et cetera terebintos dicit grecus.
Apparatus:
Terebintus | Terebinthus f
mascula AC p | mascul’ B | masculus ef | ĩ nascula j
mascula} et add. AC
rubet B efjp Pliny | rubeus AC
magnitudine | magnitudinis ms. e
palidus | pallidus f
non | nec p
iocundior (-cũdi- jp) AC fjp | iocondior B | jocudior ms. e | iucundior Pliny
terebintos AC e | terebintus j | terebinthos B fp
Translation:
Terebintus of which according to Pliny there is a male plant and it has no fruit, but there are two kinds of female plants, one has a reddish fruit the size of lens {a “lentil”} and the other a pale fruit that ripens at the same time as vitis {the “vine”} and it is no bigger than faba {a “bean”} with a very pleasing smell and feeling resinous to the touch, {Simon adds:} et cetera. A Greek calls it terebinthos.
Commentary:
Simon’s entry is a near-verbatim quote from Pliny, 13, 12, 54, ed. Rackham (1938-63: IV.130), where Pliny speaks of the terebinthus tree in Syria. Simon’s text constitutes the first part of Pliny’s fore-mentioned chapter, while the remaining text of this chapter can be found as the introduction to Simon’s entry Antroadis. There the text is incorrectly perceived as describing the sumach or ros syriacus tree. For further information see Antroadis.
Terebintus:
Greek τέρμινθος /términthos/ with variants τερέμινθος /teréminthos/, τρέμινθος /tréminthos/ and τερέβινθος /terébinthos/ are name forms for the “terebinth” or “turpentine tree”. The origin of the word is unclear; however the combination –νθ- /–nth-/ is often seen as indicating Pelasgian, i.e. pre-Greek, origin, cf. Frisk (1960-72: II.Κρ–Ω, 881), s.v. τέρμινθος /términthos/; Carnoy (1959: 259) s.v. terebinthos., Genaust (1996: 635), s.v. terebínthus.
The variant τερέβινθος /terébinthos/ was adopted into Latin as terebinthus, first attested in Virgil’s Aeneid, 10, 136.
Botanical identification:
Terebinthus is normally the name for Pistacia terebinthus L., “terebinth” or “turpentine tree” [[1]]. Since the tree is apparently native to Italy it is astonishing that no originally Latin or Italic word exists for it. André (1985: 256), s.v. terebinthus, thinks that the indigenous name may have become obsolete when terebinth resin was imported from Greece or Magna Graecia for medicinal use.
Relying on the descriptions of the fruits André (1985: 256), in accord with most authors, identifies the species with 'reddish fruit the size of a lentil' as Pistacia terebinthus L. “terebinth” or “turpentine tree”. [[2]], while the species 'with fruit the size of a bean' he identifies as Pistacia vera L. the “pistachio tree” [[3]].
When dealing with more Eastern sources other Pistacia species could be meant, e.g. Pistacia palaestina Boiss. [[4]] and in Morocco Pistacia atlantica Desf. “Mount Atlas mastic tree” [[5]].
WilfGunther (talk) 18:42, 27 November 2015 (GMT)
See Pistakia, Alboti$. For the resin see Terbintina.
