Notes

Gossampines de Tyle

In the island of Tylos [cf. 5.4.6; Plin. 12.38 and 39; modern name Bahrein], which is situated in the Arabian gulf [Persian Gulf], they say that on the east side there is such a number of trees when the tide goes out that they make a regular fence. All these are in size as large as a fig-tree, the flower is exceedingly fragrant, and the fruit, which is not edible, is like in appearance to the lupin. They say that the island also produces the ‘wool-bearing’ tree (cotton-plant) in abundance. This has a leaf like that of the vine, but small, and bears no fruit; but the vessel in which the ‘wool’ is contained is as large as a spring apple, and closed, but when it is ripe, it unfolds and puts forth the ‘wool,’ of which they weave their fabrics, some of which are cheap and some very expensive.

This tree is also found, as was said [4.5.8], in India as well as in Arabia. They say that there are other trees [Tamarind] with a flower like the gilliflower, but scentless and in size four times as large as that flower. And that there is another tree with many leaves like the rose, and that this closes at night, but opens at sunrise, and by noon is completely unfolded; and at evening again it closes by degrees and remains shut at night, and the natives say that it goes to sleep. Also that there are date-palms on the island and vines and other fruit-trees, including evergreen figs. Also that there is water from heaven, but that they do not use it for the fruits, but that there are many springs on the island, from which they water everything, and that this is more beneficial to the corn and the trees. Wherefore, even when it rains, they let this water over the fields, as though they were washing away the rain water. Such are the trees as so far observed which grow in the outer sea.

Tylos

In the island of Tylos [Plin. 16. 221; cf. 4. 7. 7] off the Arabian coast they say that there is a kind of wood [teak] of which they build their ships, and that in sea-water this is almost proof against decay; for it lasts more than 200 years if it is kept under water, while, if it is kept out of water, it decays sooner, though not for some time. They also tell of another strange thing, though it has nothing to do with the question of decay: they say that there is a certain tree [calamander-wood], of which they cut their staves, and that these are very handsome, having a variegated appearance like the tiger’s skin; and that this wood is exceedingly heavy, yet when one throws it down on hard ground it breaks in pieces like pottery.

Gossampines de Tyle

Tyros insula in eodem sinu est, repleta silvis qua spectat orientem quaque et ipsa aestu maris perfunditur. magnitudo singulis arboribus fici, flos suavitate inenarrabili, pomum lupino simile, propter asperitatem intactum omnibus animalibus. eiusdem insulae1 excelsiore suggestu lanigerae arbores alio modo quam Serum; his folia infecunda quae, ni minora essent, vitium poterant videri. ferunt mali cotonei amplitudine cucurbitas quae maturitate ruptae ostendunt lanuginis pilas ex quibus vestes pretioso linteo faciunt.
XXII. arborem vocant gossypinum, fertiliore etiam Tyro minore, quae distat x p. Iuba circa fruticem lanugines esse tradit, linteaque ea Indicis praestantiora, Arabiae autem arborem ex qua vestes faciant cynas vocari, folio palmae simili. sic Indos suae arbores vestiunt. in Tyris autem et alia arbor floret albae violae specie, sed magnitudine quadruplici, sine odore, quod miremur in eo tractu.

In the same gulf is the island of Tyros [Now Bahrein, cf. VI. 148], which is covered with forests in the part facing east, where it also is flooded by the sea at high tide. Each of the trees is the size of a fig-tree; they have a flower with an indescribably sweet scent and the fruit resembles a lupine, and is so prickly that no animal can touch it. On a more elevated plateau in the same island there are trees that bear wool, but in a different manner to those [Serica, silk] of the Chinese, as the leaves of these trees have no growth on them, and might be thought to be vine-leaves were it not that they are smaller; but they bear gourds of the size of a quince, which when they ripen burst open and disclose balls of down from which an expensive linen for clothing is made.
XXII. Their name for this tree is the gossypinus; it also grows in greater abundance on the smaller island of Tyros, which is ten miles distant from the other. Juba says that this shrub has a woolly down growing round it, the fabric made from which is superior to the linen of India. He also says that there is an Arabian tree called the cynas from which cloth is made, which has foliage resembling a palm-leaf. Similarly the natives of India are provided with clothes by their own trees. But in the Tyros islands there is also another tree [Tamarind] with a blossom like a white violet but four times as large; it has no scent, which may well surprise us in that region of the world.

Attire so many people

eiusdem insulae excelsiore suggestu lanigerae arbores alio modo quam Serum; his folia infecunda quae, ni minora essent, vitium poterant videri. ferunt mali cotonei amplitudine cucurbitas quae maturitate ruptae ostendunt lanuginis pilas ex quibus vestes pretioso linteo faciunt.

XXII. arborem vocant gossypinum, fertiliore etiam Tyro minore, quae distat x͞ p. Iuba circa fruticem lanugines esse tradit, linteaque ea Indicis praestantiora, Arabiae autem arborem ex qua vestes faciant cynas vocari, folio palmae simili. sic Indos suae arbores vestiunt.

XXI. In the same gulf is the island of Tyros [now Bahrein, cf. VI. 148]… On a more elevated plateau in the same island there are tree [cotton-trees] that bear wool, but in a different manner to those [serica, silk] of the Chinese, as the leaves of these trees have no growth on them, and might be thought to be vine-leaves were it not that they are smaller; but they bear gourds of the size of a quince, which when they ripen burst open and disclose balls of down from which an expensive linen for clothing is made.

XXII. Their name for this tree is the gossypinus; it also grows in greater abundance on the smaller island of Tyros, which is ten miles distant from the other. Juba says that this shrub has a woolly down growing round it, the fabric made from which is superior to the linen of India. He also says that there is an Arabian tree called the cynas [prhaps Bombas ceiba] from which cloth is made, which has foliage resembling a palm-leaf.

Gossampines de Tyle

Voiez Pline, l. 12 chap. 10 & 11.

Goſſampines de Tyle

Isle du Golfe Persique, où l’arbre qui porte le coton, croît en abondance.

Tyle

[Addendum to Le Duchat] — Les cotonniers de Tylos, île du golfe Persique ou de la mer des Indes, selon Pline, qui dit qu’elle produit des arbres qui portent de la laine, c’est-à-dire du coton : Ejusdem insulœ excelsiore suggestu lanigerœ arbores alio modo quam Serum … Arbores vocant Gossampinos … Sic Indos suœ arbores vestiunt.

gossampines

Colonniers.

Tylos

Tylos, île d’Arabie, dont parle Théophraste (H.P., l. IV, ch 9). — «Tylos insula in eodem sinu [Persico] est… ejusdem insulæ excelsiore suggestu lanigeræ arbores alio modo quam Serum… Ferunt cotonei mali amplitudine cucurbitas, quæ maturitate ruptæ ostendunt laanuginis pilas ex quibus vestes pretioso linteo faciunt. Arbores vocant gossympinos.» (Pline, XII, 21.) Lémery a cru retrouver dans le Gossampinus Plinii, le Fromager (Bombax ceyba, L.). Mais la brièveté des fibres du duvet de son fruit (Kapok) l’a rendu (sauf depuis ces derniers temps) impropre à tout usage textile. Mieux vaunt y voir un cotonnier soit Gossypium arboreum, L., avec Fée, soit plutôt, avec de Candolle, G. herbaceum, L. (Paul Delaunay)

arbres lanificques, gossampines, cynes, les vignes de Malthe

Il s’agit de la soie et du coton (Pline, XII, 21 et 22). Les gossampines (gossypion) sont assimilées au lin par Pline, XIX, 2. Le coton de Malthe était très réputé dans l’Antiquité, d’où la « Linigera Melite » de Scyllius, cité par Textor, Officina, lxxvi v. Cf Polydore Vergile, De Inventoribus rerum, III,vi ; Servius, Comment. in Georg., II, 121 (voir plus bas, LII, 146, note).

Tyle

Île d’Arabie (Pline, XII, xxi, qui assimile les gossampines au lin).

gossamer

gossamer. Forms: gosesomer(e, gossom(m)er, gossomyre, gossummer, gossamour, gosimore, gossamire, -ore, gossem-, -im-, -ymear(e, -e(e)re, gothsemay, -imere, gossamere, gossimer, (gosshemere, garsummer), gossamer. [ME. gos(e)somer(e, app. formed on goose sb. + summer sb. Cf. the synonymous English dial. summer-goose (Craven), summer-colt, German mädchensommer (lit. `girls’ summer’), altweibersommer (`old women’s summer’); also German sommerfäden, Dutch zomerdraden, Swedish sommartraåd, all literally `summer thread’. The reason for the appellation is somewhat obscure. It is usually assumed that goose in this compound refers to the `downy’ appearance of gossamer. But it is to be noted that German mädchen-, altweibersommer mean not only `gossamer’, but also a summer-like period in late autumn, a St. Martin’s summer; that the obsolete Scotch go-summer had the latter meaning; and that it is in the warm periods of autumn that gossamer is chiefly observed. These considerations suggest the possibility that the word may primarily have denoted a `St. Martin’s summer’ (the time when geese were supposed to be in season: compare German Gänsemonat `geese-month’, November), and have been hence transferred to the characteristic phenomenon of the period. On this view summer-goose (which by etymologizing perversion appears also as summer-gauze) would be a transposition.]

A fine filmy substance, consisting of cobwebs, spun by small spiders, which is seen floating in the air in calm weather, esp. in autumn, or spread over a grassy surface: occasionally, a thread or web of gossamer.

Transferred sense and figurative. Applied to something light and flimsy as gossamer.

gossampine

gossampine. Obsolete. Also corruptly gossanpine, gassampine, grassapine. [adopted from French gossampin the shrub Bombax pentandrum, which yields a substance similar to cotton, adaptation of Latin gossympinus (also gossypion). Cf. also Italian gossipina (Florio) cloth made of this cotton.]

The shrub Bombax pentandrum. The cotton-like fibre produced from it. A kind of cloth made of this fibre.