Frank Sayers, [Lower] Close, [Norwich, Norfolk], to James Edward Smith

Summary

Following their discussion the previous evening has looked into the earliest meaning of the word "Kuamos" ["Cyamus" transliterated from Greek alphabet, appropriated in English as "legumen"] with references to Homer's "Illiad", "Odyssey" and "Batrachomyomachia", cross referencing with [Christian Tobias] Damm's "Lexic. Homeric", relates his conclusions. Believes Theophrastus may have been the first to apply it to 'Nymphaea nelumbo' and compares other ancient writers' usage of the word.

Letter details

Record number

LINNEAN2578

From

Frank Sayers

To

Sir James Edward Smith

Date

12 Sep 1808

Sent from

Norwich, Norfolk

Source of text

GB-110/JES/COR/3/112, The Linnean Society of London

Language

English

Contributor

The Linnean Society of London[View Ɛpsilon collection]

Also published in The Correspondence of Sir James Edward Smith, The Linnean Society's Archive Catalogue.