释义 |
flamen|ˈfleɪmɛn| Forms: 4–5 flamyn(e (erron. flaume), 4–7 flamin(e, 7 flammin(g, 7– flamen. [a. L. flāmen, of doubtful etymology; some modern scholars believe it to stand for *flādmen, f. flād-:—WAryan *bhlād- as in Goth. blôt-an, OE. blót-an to sacrifice; others regard it as standing for flāgmen, f. root flā̆g- to burn (from burning sacrifices).] 1. Rom. Antiq. A priest devoted to the service of a particular deity. † flamin diall = L. flamen dialis, the flamen of Jupiter.
1533Bellenden Livy i. (1822) 34 Yit he institute the sacrifice that pertenit to the flamin diall. 1607Shakes. Cor. ii. i. 229 Seld-showne Flamins Doe presse among the popular Throngs. 1644Milton Areop. (Arb.) 37 The Romans..knew of learning little but what their Augurs and Flamins taught them. 1733Pope Ess. Man iii. 266 Then first the Flamen tasted living food. 1880Muirhead Gaius i. §112 No person is elected to the office of one of the greater flamens, i.e. a flamen of Jupiter, Mars, or Quirinus..unless born of farreate parents. 2. transf. Applied to other priests, etc.
c1400Mandeville (1839) xii. 141 The Archiflamyn or the Flamyn, as oure Erchebisshopp or Bisshopp..seythe thus. 1650Bulwer Anthropomet. 210 Egyptian Priests and other Flamines of the Natural Law used Circumcision. 1660Hickeringill Jamaica (1661) 79 The Muses and their Flamens they cashiere. 1789Burns Let. to Mrs. Dunlop 13 Dec., Ye venerable sages, and holy flamens, is there probability in your conjectures? 1808J. Barlow Columb. iv. 316 Let the poor guardless natives never feel The flamen's fraud. 3. The L. flamen and archiflamen (see arch-flamen) were used by Geoffrey of Monmouth to denote the two grades of alleged sacerdotal functionaries in heathen Britain, whose place was taken on the conversion of the island by bishops and archbishops. Hence pseudo-Hist. in Eng. writers.
c1330R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 5756 Eyght & twenty flamins men tolde. 1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) II. 111, 28 bisshoppis icleped flamynes. 1480Caxton Descr. Brit. 25 To these archbisshops sees were subgette xxviij bisshops and were called flamines. 1612Drayton Poly-olb. viii. 112 With Fanes vnto her Gods, and Flamins euerywhere. 1652J. Collinges Caveat for Prof. (1653) 132 It holds as much for Bishops and Archbishops (instead of Flammins and Archflammins). 4. attrib., as flamen-priest.
a1533Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. ii. v. (1535) 114 b, Their gownes long lyke flamine prestes. Hence ˈflamenship, the office of a flamen.
1600Holland Livy xxvi. xxiii. (1609) 601 C. Claudius, the Arch-flamine of Jupiter, lost his Flamineship. 1610Healey St. Aug. Citie of God (1620) 71 Flamines, inheritors of the ancient Flamine-ship. |