olibanum

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English

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin olibanum, from Latin oleum libani, the first word meaning oil and the second from Ancient Greek λίβανος (líbanos, frankincense (Boswellia sacra)), from a Semitic source, compare Proto-Semitic *laban- (white). Cognate with Biblical Hebrew לְבוֹנָה (l'voná, frankincense), Arabic لبان (lubān, frankincense). (Compare benzoin for a similar process of metanalysis.) Doublet of oliban.

Pronunciation

Noun

olibanum (countable and uncountable, plural olibanums)

  1. A gum resin from trees of the genus Boswellia, formerly used as a medicine and now mainly as incense.
    • 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 112:
      Aromatics were used, too, especially in necromancy, and an old recipe of that sort comprises Musk, Myrrh, Frankincense, Red Storax, Mastick, Olibanum, Saffron, Benzoin and Labdanum.

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