27.03.26: Describing objects [5]; wood

[i] lignum, -ī [2/n]: wood; this is the more general word

wood (the material); (pl: firewood): also: tree, club / staff

ē / ex lignō: made of wood

ligneus, -a, -um: wooden

ponticulus ligneus: a little wooden bridge

Careful: the term lignātus does not, unlike the other words listed, refer to anything made of wood or covered with wood; lignor, lignārī, lignātus sum [1/deponent]: to fetch (fire)wood i.e. lignātus means ‘having gone to collect wood’; it cannot be used in the description of an object

(1) sīc ē lignō et ferrō, ut plostra [= plaustra] maiōra tria, arātra cum vōmeribus sex (Varro) │ thus (implements) made of wood and iron, as three large carts, six ploughs and ploughshares

(2) Quod superest, nec ipse sum nescius quōsdam circumstantium cupere audīre, cūr nōn argentō vel aurō, sed potissimum ex lignō simulācrum fierī voluerim (Apuleius Madaurensis) │ As for what remains, I myself am not unaware that some of those standing around wish to hear why I have wanted a statue to be made not of silver or gold, but rather of wood.

(3) Used in the plural

Ignem ex lignīs viridibus atque ūmidīs in locō angustō fierī iussit (Cicero) │ He ordered a fire to be made from green and damp wood in a confined place.

(4) Transferred meanings; examples from the Vulgate:

• Et erit tamquam lignum trānsplantātum iuxtā rīvulōs aquārum (Vulgate) │ And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters
• germinet terra herbam virentem et facientem sēmen et lignum pōmiferum faciēns frūctum (Vulgate) │ Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit
• et adhūc eō loquente vēnit Iūdās Scarioth ūnus ex duodecim et cum illō turba cum gladiīs et lignīs ā summīs sacerdōtibus et ā scrībīs et ā seniōribus (Vulgate) │ Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came – and with him a multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders

(5) equus ligneus plēnus armātīs (Augustine) │ the wooden horse full of its armed soldiers

(6) Tantisper quidem ut sīs apud mē ligneā in cūstōdiā (Plautus) │ On condition, then, that you shall be in wooden custody [ = in the stocks] at my house.

[ii] materia, -ae [1/f]: [i] timber, lumber i.e. wood used for building; Tacitus (Annalēs 1.35) distinguishes between materia (wood for building) and ligna (pl: firewood); [ii] material; matter; substance i.e. the meaning goes beyond simply ‘wood’

pōns ex māteriā │ a wooden bridge / a bridge made from timber

… ut ferē sunt quae ex vīminibus et māteriā rūsticā fīunt ut corbēs, fiscinae (Varro) │ … in genereal things which are made from wicker and of ‘country / rustic’ wood [i.e. natural / coarse] such as hampers, baskets …

Et vellem, herculēs, māteriam repperīrem aliquam quam deus tantus affluenter indueret (Apuleius) │ And, by Hercules, I would like to find [clothing] material that such a great god could wear in flowing folds.