colmea

Galician

Alternative forms

Etymology

13th century, and attested as colmena in local Medieval Latin documents since 937. From Paleo-Hispanic *kŏlmēnā, probably of Celtic origin. From Proto-Indo-European *ḱolh₂mos (stalk).[1] Cognate with Portuguese colmeia, Spanish colmena.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kolˈmea̝/

Noun

colmea m (plural colmeas)

  1. beehive
    • 1281, Clarinda de Azevedo Maia, editor, História do galego-português. Estado linguístico da Galiza e do Noroeste de Portugal do século XII ao século XVI, Coimbra: I.N.I.C, page 133:
      Mando o meu quiñõ daſ colmeaſ de San Migueli de Monte Furado que aſ dia y que arça y a zera por mi alma
      I give also my share of the beehives of Saint Michael in Monte Furado; let the wax burn there for my soul

Derived terms

References

  1. ^ Joan Coromines, José A[ntonio] Pascual (1983–1991) “colmena”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico [Critical Castilian and Hispanic Etymological Dictionary] (in Spanish), Madrid: Gredos