βαμβάκιον
προγράψαντες οὖν τά τε θεωρήματα καὶ τὰ ἐπιτάγματα τὰ χρεῖαν ἔχοντα εἰς τὰς ἀποδείξιας αὐτῶν μετὰ ταῦτα γραψοῦμές τοι τὰ προκείμενα → having therefore written at the beginning the theorems and the postulates that are necessary for their proofs, we will then write out for you the propositions
English (LSJ)
[ᾰ], τό, cotton, Suid. s.v. πάμβαξ.
Spanish (DGE)
-ου, τό algodón Sud.s.u. πάμβαξ.
Frisk Etymological English
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.
