olibanum

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin olibanum, from Latin oleum libani, the first word meaning oil and the second from Ancient Greek λίβανος (líbanos, “frankincense (Boswellia sacra)”), from a Semitic source, compare Proto-Semitic *laban- (“white”). Cognate with Biblical Hebrew לְבוֹנָה (l'voná, “frankincense”), Arabic لبان (lubān, “frankincense”). (Compare benzoin for a similar process of metanalysis.) Doublet of oliban.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɒˈlɪbənəm/

• Audio (Southern England):

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Noun

olibanum (countable and uncountable, plural olibanums)

1. A gum resin from trees of the genus Boswellia, formerly used as a medicine and now mainly as incense. [from 14th c.]
   • 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 112:

     Aromatics were used, too, especially in necromancy, and an old recipe of that sort comprises Musk, Myrrh, Frankincense, Red Storax, Mastick, Olibanum, Saffron, Benzoin and Labdanum.

   • 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 168:

     Among the Turks, an exciting compound consists of olibanum, myrrh, camphor, musk, in pulverized form. The resultant perfume is said to affect the genitals.

Synonyms

• frankincense

Derived terms

• olibene

Translations

frankincense — see frankincense

Anagrams

• balonium, umbonial