olibanum

The story

1. Semitic · derived from
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromλίβανος“frankincense (Boswellia sacra)”
3. Latin · derived fromoleum libani
4. Medieval Latin · borrowed fromolibanum
5. English todayolibanum

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.

First known use, by meaning

• from 14th c. A gum resin from trees of the genus Boswellia, formerly used as a medicine and now mainly as incense.