Difference between revisions of "Cameleon (1)"

From Simon Online
Jump to: navigation, search
Line 4: Line 4:
 
<span style="color:#3CB371">Apparatus:</span>
 
<span style="color:#3CB371">Apparatus:</span>
  
Cameleon ABCDQR efgijkmpst | Chameleon m | Camelonta n
+
Cameleon ABCDQR efgijkmopst | Chameleon m | Camelonta n
  
scribitur ABCDQR egijkmpst | ''om.'' f | scribi n
+
scribitur ABCDQR egijkmopst | ''om.'' f | scribi n
  
chamelaeon ACDQR | ''empty space'' B eknt | ''om.'' fgijms | χωλμελαιον (distorted Greek script) p
+
chamelaeon ACDQR | ''empty space'' B eknot | ''om.'' fgijms | χωλμελαιον (distorted Greek script) p
  
pro animali ACDQR efjknpst | ut Dia. pro animali B | proali gi | et pro animali m
+
pro animali ACDQR efjknopst | ut Dia. pro animali B | proali gi | et pro animali m
  
vero sic ABCDQR egijknst | sic eciam f | om. m | vero sic scribitur p
+
vero sic ABCDQR egijknost | sic eciam f | om. m | vero sic scribitur p
  
chamaeleon ACDQR | ''empty space'' B eknt | ''om.'' fgijms | (illegible script) p
+
chamaeleon ACDQR | ''empty space'' B eknt | ''om.'' fgijmos | (illegible script) p
  
 
Entry is missing in z
 
Entry is missing in z

Revision as of 12:35, 2 March 2016

Cameleon pro planta scribitur sic chamelaeon, pro animali vero sic chamaeleon.


Apparatus:

Cameleon ABCDQR efgijkmopst | Chameleon m | Camelonta n

scribitur ABCDQR egijkmopst | om. f | scribi n

chamelaeon ACDQR | empty space B eknot | om. fgijms | χωλμελαιον (distorted Greek script) p

pro animali ACDQR efjknopst | ut Dia. pro animali B | proali gi | et pro animali m

vero sic ABCDQR egijknost | sic eciam f | om. m | vero sic scribitur p

chamaeleon ACDQR | empty space B eknt | om. fgijmos | (illegible script) p

Entry is missing in z


Translation:

Cameleon - the spelling for the plant is this: chamelaeon, but for the animal it is chamaeleon.


Commentary:

This spelling arrangement is pure fantasy on Simon's part. The word is in Latin chamaeleon and it was borrowed from Greek χαμαιλέων /khamailéōn/, - literally meaning "ground lion" - where it meant the animal but also various plants. The Greek word was adopted into Latin as chamaeleon. In late Latin and in the medieval period 'ch' was often only written as 'c', and 'ae' was routinely replaced by 'e'. However in authors of an historicising tendency 'e' was often unetymologically written as 'ae'.

As for the animal it refers most likely to Chamaeleo chamaeleon L. "the common chameleon", which includes several localised subspecies. It has a wide distribution ranging from the Iberian Peninsula over North Africa, the Middle East and Southern Arabia, to Turkey and it occurs also on most Mediterranean islands.

As for the plants, they are named chamaeleon after the animal because of their variable flower colours according to Dioscorides Longobardus, 3, 9, ed. Stadler (1899: 381) De cameleonta nigra: Sed dicitur cameleon pro varietate florum eius, quia aut viridia aut alba aut iacinto similia rufa, sed pro vareetate (sic!) locorum - "It is called chamaeleon because of the {colour} variety of its flowers, for they occur green or white or reddish similar to the "hyacinthus", or because of their different habitats".

Dioskorides distinguishes the "white" chamaeleon, i.e. χαμαιλέων λευκός /khamailéōn leukós/ and the "black" chamaeleon, i.e. χαμαιλέων μέλας /khamailéōn mélas/. The white chamaeleon is frequently identified, e.g. Berendes (1902: 268), André (1956: 84), with Atractylis gummifera L. "pine-thistle", a plant with a northern Mediterranean distribution.

The black chamaeleon is frequently identified, e.g. Berendes (p. 269), André ibid., with Cardopatium corymbosum (L.) Pers. "black chameleon", a plant of the Eastern Mediterranean.


See also: Cameleon (2), Harbe

Next entry