Milmandrum
Milmandrum Ysidorus sic vulgo iusquiamum dicitur liber de doctrina greca idem.
Apparatus:
Milimandrum (-drũ e; -drum f; -mãdrũ B) BC ef | Milmãdrũ A
geca om. f
idem om. e
Translation:
Milmandrum is the word according to Ysidorus that is used by the common people for iusquiamum, and the same is said in the Liber de doctrina greca.
Commentary:
Simon is referring to Isidore's Etymologiae, 17, 4, 41 on Iosquiamos {André 1981: 185)/ Hyoscyamos (Lindsay 1911). And he says of the herb: Hanc {sc. herbam} vulgus milimindrum dicit, propter quod alienationem mentis inducit – "folks call this herb milimindrum, because of the 'aberration of mind or loss of reason' the plant induces".
Simon's often quoted source, the Liber de doctrina greca, has so far not been identified.
Milimindrum is only attested in Isidore and some glossaries. But Spanish has milimandro and Portuguese meimendro, Rhaeto-Romance mirandola, with numerous variant forms existing in all these languages. It seems that Isidore fancifully sees into this word the elements minus and mens, i.e. "reduced” and "the mind, intellectual faculties, understanding, intellect, reason”, alluding to the poisonous nature of the plant.
But the word may possibly be a corruption of Gaulish belinuntia, attested in the RV version of the Greek Dioscorides, 4, 68, ed. Wellmann (1906-14: II.224): ὑοσκύαμος, /hyoskýamos/ {"On henbane”}: Γάλλοι βελενούντιαμ /Gálloi belenoúntiam/ and in the Herbarius Ps.-Apulei, ed. Howald (1927: 32-3), IV. HERBA SIMFONIACA {"henbane”} in some mss., cf. Apparatus (1927: 33), 5th line from bottom: Galli bellinuncium. It could be based on the name of a Gaulish god Belenos, a name that could live on in Spanish beleño. Cf. André (1981: 186), annotation 459. See also André (1985) s.v. miliāria.
Font Quer (2002: 571, 405). BELEÑO NEGRO mentions further medieval Latin variants like millimidrum, which were perhaps folk-etymologically associated with mille "thousand” and milium "millet”, alluding to the many seed grains in both plants.
Also: Corominas (1980-91: I.556), s.v. BELEÑO {"henbane”} gives a detailed etymological history of the term.
For further information see Iusquiamus
Wilf Gunther 24/12/13
