elementum

Latin

Etymology

Uncertain. Perhaps ultimately from L M N, first three letters of the second half of the Canaanite alphabet, recited by ancient scribes when learning it (in sense compare English ABC(s) (“fundamentals”)). This idea has been criticized though due to the absence of any evidence for use of a half-split in the Latin alphabet itself and the lack of evidence for the use of "el", "em", and "en" as letter names in early Latin. An alternative related idea is that elementum was borrowed into Latin from a Semitic term (probably via Egyptian) halaḥama, which derives from the old South Semitic initial character sequence, h-l-ḥ-m..., though this presents some difficulties as well.

Alternatively could be a neologism to translate the equivalent Greek term στοιχεῖον (stoikheîon, “element, letter”) (introduced in the sense of "element" by Plato), which, like the Latin elementum, has the dual meaning of "element" and "letter". This neologism would be modelled on and alluding to alimentum (“nourishment”), modified to be a mnemonic for the sequence of letters "L M N"; this would make it related to alere (“to nourish”), olēscere (“to grow”), both from Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-.

A further suggestion is that the word may have been derived from an unattested *elepantum for a letter made of ivory (i.e., a toy letter for the purpose of learning to read), an old loanword from Ancient Greek ἐλέφας (eléphas, “elephant”) or its accusative ἐλέφαντα (eléphanta). This could explain the otherwise irregular -e- in the second syllable.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /e.leˈmen.tum/, [ɛɫ̪ɛˈmɛn̪t̪ʊ̃ˑ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /e.leˈmen.tum/, [eleˈmɛn̪t̪um]

Noun

elementum n (genitive elementī); second declension

1. (chemistry, physics) one of four elements that composed the world.
2. basic principle, rudiment
3. (in the plural) the alphabet

Usage notes

Most often used in the plural to refer collectively to the components.

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

	singular	plural
nominative	elementum	elementa
genitive	elementī	elementōrum
dative	elementō	elementīs
accusative	elementum	elementa
ablative	elementō	elementīs
vocative	elementum	elementa

Hyponyms

• (one of four elements): aer, aqua, ignis, tellus / terra

Related terms

• elementārius

Descendants

• Catalan: element
• English: element
• French: élément
  • Turkish: eleman
• Galician: elemento
• German: Element
• Italian: elemento
• Occitan: element
• Portuguese: elemento
• Romanian: element
• Russian: элемент (element)
• Spanish: elemento
• Swedish: element
• Turkish: element
• Welsh: elfen

References

• “elementum”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “elementum”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• elementum 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)
• elementum in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • the elements: elementa; initia or principia rerum
    
  • the elements and first beginnings: elementa et tamquam semina rerum
    
  • to teach children the rudiments: pueros elementa (prima) docere
    
  • to receive the first elements of a liberal education: primis litterarum elementis imbui
    
  • the alphabet: litterae, elementa
    
• elementum in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[2], pre-publication website, 2005-2016
• Meyer, Leo (1878) “Elementum”, in Beiträge zur Kunde der indogermanischen Sprachen (in German), volume 2, Göttingen: Robert Peppmüller, pages 86–107