Talk:macir

RFV discussion: July 2021

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macir

Used in the gloss at Ancient Greek μάκιρ (mákir), implying it as an English word, but I can't find any sources for it. — 69.120.64.15 20:49, 19 July 2021 (UTC)

It isn’t English imho. The Latin word itself is a hapax. Maybe not even Latin, therefore the Thesaurus Linguae Latinae does not include it. (Do not confuse with the bogus spice maccis, which is also a hapax.) So why did you add it in the first place? You should not add words because someone used it in a gloss. Editors make up words, and sometimes they gloss in the foreign language because keeping the term for a foreign concept as it is is the appropriate translation. Fay Freak (talk) 21:29, 19 July 2021 (UTC)

Hence why I only added it in comments and immediately inquired here, but yes, thank you. — 69.120.64.15 21:43, 19 July 2021 (UTC)

Here is what I could find:

*

1657, Jean de Renou, “Of Nutmeg, Mace, and Macir”, in A Medicinal Dispensatory, page 278:

Now Mace and Macir differ; for Mace is the hull of a Nut, and Macir the crass slave, or as Pliny saith, red bark of a certain wood brought from Barbary, bitter to the gust, and astrictive;

• 1973, Rajaram Narayan Saletore, Early Indian Economic History, page 232:

  Another important export from India, also testified by the Periplus, was macir which, according to that work, was exported from India along with Indian copal and slaves from Berbera.

• 1997, Suomen Itämainen Seura, Studia Orientalia: - Volume 83, page 157:

  The Periplus (8) knows macir as being transported through Ethiopian ports.

• 2004, Arun Metha ·, History of Ancient India, page 127:

  Macir is mentioned by Dioscorides as an aromatic bark.

Note that they are all basically citing ancient texts that predate English. Clearly there was some export from India of this name, but I am inclined to agree that this is not an English word. Kiwima (talk) 00:35, 20 July 2021 (UTC)

I had found similar cites to Kiwima, and put them at Citations:macir. I think "Now Mace and Macir differ; for Mace is the hull of a Nut, and Macir [is...]", "There can be no doubt that macir was certainly exported from India to Rome ", and one of the others would be enough for an English section; certainly, they are enough to justify using the word in glosses. - -sche (discuss) 01:56, 20 July 2021 (UTC)

RFV-passed Kiwima (talk) 22:39, 27 July 2021 (UTC)