bambagium

Grammatical information: n.

Meaning: `cotton' (Suidas s.v. πάμβαξ)

Other forms: παμβακίς (AP 6,254,6, Myrin.), πάμβαξ Suid.

Derivatives: βαμβακοειδής, v.l. for βομβυκ- (Dsc. 3,16).

Origin: XX [etym. unknown]

Etymology: Cotton is first mentioned in an inscription by Sanherib. Hdt. 3,106 mentions it for India. Theophrastus says that it grew near the Persian Gulf. We find the word in MPers. pambak, from where Arm. bambak, Oss. bämbäg, WRuss. bambák (unclear Russ. bumaga `paper'). From Greek Lat. bambax, bambagium with Ital. bambagia; through influence (because of the formal and semantic resemblance?) of βόμβυξ Ital. bombagio, Fr. bombasin. (Another Gr. designations is ἐριόξυλον, cf. Germ. Baumwolle.) Pliny uses the word gossypium. Unclear is whether βύσσος in Pausanias is also cotton. Cf. βαμβακεὺτριαι. - For cotton see also κάρπασος 1.