Olibanum

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɒˈlɪbənəm/

Definitions

1. A scented resin derived from particular trees, valued for its role in incense and aromatic products
2. An aromatic substance from certain tree species, primarily utilized in ceremonial and medicinal applications
3. A fragrant resin extracted from specific trees, commonly used in religious rites and traditional healing practices

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "olibanum" is that its opening syllables are a mistake. Medieval Latin speakers took the phrase "oleum libani," meaning "oil of Lebanon," and treated it as a single word, which is how "olibanum" came into being. The "libani" half points to Lebanon, but the substance itself was named for its sap-like scent rather than a place of origin. (The phrase "oleum libani" as a whole names the resin, not the country.) The word traces back to Ancient Greek "libanos," the name for frankincense from the Boswellia sacra tree, and that Greek word came from a Semitic source. Its relatives include the Biblical Hebrew "l'vonah" and the Arabic "lubān," both meaning frankincense, which shows how the aromatic resin moved through trade and religious life across the ancient Near East. English borrowed the word from Medieval Latin, and it has a close relative in "oliban," a doublet that entered the language by a slightly different route. The same kind of run-together phrase produced "benzoin," which also began as a misread phrase in a foreign tongue.

Synonyms: frankincense