calamus

See also: Calamus

English

Acorus calamus

Wikispecies

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin calamus (“reed, cane”), from Ancient Greek κάλαμος (kálamos). Doublet of shawm.

Noun

calamus (usually uncountable, plural calamuses or calami)

1. The sweet flag, Acorus calamus.
   • Song of Solomon 4:12-14, KJV

     A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices

2. A quill (Can we [[#calamus|verify]]^{([{{fullurl:|action=edit&section=new&preload=Template:rfv-sense/preload$1&preloadparams%5B%5D=%3Cstrong+class%3D%22error%22%3E%3Cspan+class%3D%22scribunto-error%22+id%3D%22mw-scribunto-error-86aa07b3%22%3ELua+error+in+Module%3Aparameters+at+%5B%5BModule%3Aparameters%23L-290%7Cline+290%5D%5D%3A+Parameter+1+should+be+a+valid+language+code%3B+the+value+%26quot%3Bwhich+sense+of+%5C%26quot%3Bquill%5C%26quot%3B%3F%26quot%3B+is+not+valid.+See+%5B%5BWT%3ALOL%5D%5D.%3C%2Fspan%3E%3C%2Fstrong%3E&preloadtitle=%5B%5Bcalamus%23rfv-sense-notice-which sense of "quill"?-%7ccalamus%5D%5D}} +])} this sense?).
3. (Christianity, historical) (deprecated use of |lang= parameter) Synonym of fistula (“tube for sucking Eucharist wine”)

Translations

sweet flag — see sweet flag

quill — see quill

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Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek κάλαμος (kálamos).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈka.la.mus/, [ˈkäɫ̪ämʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈka.la.mus/, [ˈkäːlämus]

Noun

1. a reed, cane
2. (by extension) an object made from a reed, such as a pen, arrow, or fishing rod
   • Motto of Keio University:

     Calamus gladio fortior

     The pen is mightier than the sword.

3. (of plants) a stalk, straw, blade
4. the hollow arm of a candelabrum

Derived terms

• calamārius
• calamister

Descendants

• Arabic: قَلَمٌ (qalamun)
• Albanian: kallam
• English: calamus
• French: calame, chaume, chalumeau
• Galician: cálamo

• Italian: calamo
• Romanian: carâmb
• Spanish: cálamo, carámbano

References

• “calamus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “calamus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• calamus 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)
• calamus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “calamus”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “calamus”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin