▪ I. lovage1
(ˈlʌvɪdʒ)
Forms: 4–7 lov(e)ach(e, 6–7 leuish, liuish, 8 loveage, 5– lovage.
[ME. loveache, an etymologizing alteration (as if love-ache ‘love-parsley’: see ache n.2) of OF. levesche, luvesche (mod.F. livèche, earlier levesse, whence Du. lavas):—late L. levisticum, whence It. levistico, libistico, various Slavonic and Lithuanian forms, and (with etymologizing perversion) OE. lufestice, OHG. lubestecco, lubistechal (MHG. lübisteche, lubstickel, mod.G. liebstöckel). The late L. levisticum is believed to be a corruption of L. ligusticum (app. denoting the same plant), neut. of ligusticus Ligurian; this was adopted by Linnæus as the name of the British genus, while he gave the name Levisticum to the south European genus.]
a. The umbelliferous herb Levisticum officinale, a native of southern Europe, grown in old gardens, and used as a domestic remedy. b. A later book-name for the British umbelliferous genus Ligusticum, esp. L. scoticum. c. Formerly also applied to Smyrnium Olusatrum (black lovage), to Laserpitium Siler (bastard or Lombardy lovage), and to Œnanthe crocata (water lovage).
| a 1387 Sinon. Barthol. (Anecd. Oxon.) 11 Apium levisticum, loveache. a 1400 Pistill of Susan 109 (Vernon MS.) Þe lilye, þe louache [Ingilby louage; Cotton louge], launsyng wiþ leue. c 1420 Liber Cocorum (1862) 18 Take a handfulle of herb lovache. 1548 Turner Names of Herbes 48 Ligusticum..I haue sene it in Italy, but no where els. It maye be called in englishe Lumbardy Louage. Ibid. 75 Smyrnium..maye be called in englishe blacke Louage. 1563 T. Hill Art Garden. (1593) 62 Lumbardie Louage. 1573 Tusser Husb. xlv. (1878) 97 Necessarie herbes to growe in the garden for Physick... Louage for the stone. 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. ccccvi. 892 Siler montanum officinarum. Bastard Louage. 1601 Holland Pliny II. 30 As for Loueach or Liuish, it..loueth alone to grow of it self among the mountains of Liguria. 1633 Johnson Gerarde's Herbal (1636) 1060 The roots of this plant..are dayly by the ignorant women in Cheape-side sold..by the name of Water Louage. 1751 Smollett Per. Pic. (1779) II. xliv. 72 A sauce composed of pepper, lovage, coriander, &c. 1806 A. Hunter Culina (ed. 3) 147 Lovage and chives, half a handful. |
d. attrib., as lovage root, lovage-seed.
| c 1450 ME. Med. Bk. (Heinrich) 125 Loueache seed. 1502 Arnolde Chron. (1811) 171 Drynke noo stronge ale and vse louach see[d] and letews. 1876 tr. von Ziemssen's Cycl. Med. VI. 169 The vegetable diuretics, such as lovage root. |
▪ II. † lovage2 Obs.
Also louage, lowage.
[perh. f. love v.2 + -age; perh. miswritten for louāge = louange, loenge.]
Praise, honour.
| 1489 Burgh Rec. Edinb. (1869) I. 58 Thair petitioun was consonant to ressoun and to the lovage of God. 1500 Ibid. 80 Desyrand for the lovage of God..that [etc.]. 1522 State P. Hen. VIII, VI. 102 He shall..attayne moche lowage amonges all goode Cristen people. 1523 Ld. Berners Froissart I. i. 1, I..wyll treat and recorde an hystory of great louage and prayse. |