Saturday, September 17, 2011

oenomel



oenomel [ˈinəˌmɛl] n.

1.) A mixture of wine and honey, used as a beverage by the ancient Greeks.
2.) fig.; esp. applied to language or thought in which strength and sweetness are combined (O.E.D. 2nd Edition).

Etymology: adaptation of Latin œnomeli (late L. -melum), adopted from Greek οἰνόµελι, from οἶνος wine + µέλι honey. So Modern French œnomel.

"With gracious gods he communed, honouring thus
At once by service and similitude,
Service devout and worship emulous
Of the same golden Muses once they wooed,
The names and shades adored of all of us,
The nurslings of the brave world's earlier brood
Grown gods for us themselves: Theocritus
First, and more dear Catullus, names bedewed
With blessings bright like tears
From the old memorial years,
And loves and lovely laughters, every mood
Sweet as the drops that fell
Of their own oenomel
From living lips to cheer the multitude
That feeds on words divine, and grows
More worthy, seeing their world reblossom like a rose"
("Song for the Centenary of Walter Savage Landor", Algernon Charles Swinburne, 1880).

(Porträt des Friedrich von Schiller, Gerhard von Kügelgen, 1809)

10 comments:

tracirz said...

oooh I like this word. :D oenomel. :D

Mai Yang said...

sounds like candy :)

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Not sure how I'm going to weave this into my conversation next time down the pub, but thanks!

D4 said...

I want to try some. It sounds yummy.

DEZMOND said...

he he Debra, I'm not sure what the local pub bartender would bring you if you ask the chap for some vintage oenomel :PP

Unknown said...

That sounds like an excellent beverage though.

shari said...

Wonderful word, E! Never heard of it, either!

mamtc said...

Forget about me, would any bartender know this word?

Shutterbug said...

i wouldn't mind getting drunk on that! ;)

Endless said...

sounds like this nordic stuff called "met"

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