balsamum

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek βάλσαμον (bálsamon), from Semitic, cognate with Hebrew בֹּשֶׂם (bōśem, “perfume”), Arabic بَشَام (bašām).

Noun

balsamum n (genitive balsamī); second declension

1. balsam (substance or tree); balm

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	balsamum	balsama
Genitive	balsamī	balsamōrum
Dative	balsamō	balsamīs
Accusative	balsamum	balsama
Ablative	balsamō	balsamīs
Vocative	balsamum	balsama

Derived terms

• balsameus
• balsaminus

Descendants

• → Albanian: balshëm, balsam
• Catalan: bàlsam
• → German: Balsam
  • → Russian: бальза́м (balʹzám)
• English: balm, balsam, balsamic
• → Galician: bálsamo, basmo
• → Gothic: 𐌱𐌰𐌻𐍃𐌰𐌽 (balsan)
• → Irish: balsam
• Italian: balsamo

• Old French: basme
  • French: baume
• → Polish: balsam
• Portuguese: bálsamo
• Romanian: balsam
• Spanish: bálsamo

References

• “balsamum”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “balsamum”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• balsamum in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• balsamum in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.