aymante

Old Spanish

Alternative forms

• aymant (apocopic)

Etymology

From Medieval Latin [Term?], ultimately from Latin adamās (“adamant”), from Ancient Greek ἀδάμᾱς (adámās, “invincible”), reinforced by Old French aïmant.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ai̯ˈmante/

Noun

aymante f (plural aymantes)

1. magnet, lodestone
   • c. 1250, Alfonso X, Lapidario, f. 6v:

     Et aun a otra p̃priedat que el uidrio la obedece ⁊ tiral aſſi como la aymante tira el fierro.

     And yet another property is that glass obeys it and it pulls it, just like the magnet attracts iron.

   • Idem, f. 55r.

     Et purga el oro como dixiemos delas otras aymantes que an poder de purgar.

     And it purges gold in the same way we said other magnets have the power to purge.

Synonyms

• magnete m

Descendants

• Spanish: imán (see aymant)