formagium

Latin

Alternative forms

• fromagium

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French formage, itself from Early Medieval Latin fōrmāticum. Hence a doublet of the latter. Generally found in medieval documents from Northern Italy and environs.

Pronunciation

• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /forˈma.d͡ʒi.um/, [forˈmäːd͡ʒium]

Noun

fōrmāgium n (genitive fōrmāgiī or fōrmāgī); second declension (Medieval Latin)

1. Synonym of cāseus (“cheese”)
   • 13th c., Bergamo, Italy:

     ...Mercathentiam intelligimus pannum lane, ferrum coctum, laboratum et non laboratum, ramum, gavezolos, pira, poma, castaneas, formagium, salem, oleum, pisces siccos, molas, baldinellam, vasa lapidea ad coquinam, et saccos; videlicet pira, poma et castaneas ultra sextaria quatuor et formagium ultra pensum unum, et oleum ultra minam unam, et pisces siccos ultra iiii manus; et in hiis non habeat locum valentia soldorum xx.

     ...By ‘merchandise’ we mean wool garments, wrought or unwrought steel, copper, gavezolos, pears, apples, chestnuts, cheese, salt, oil, dried fish, grits, fine garments, stone vessels for the kitchen, and sacks; in particular we mean [quantities of] pears, apples, or chestnuts exceeding four bushels, cheese exceeding one pensum, oil exceeding one mina, and dried fish exceeding four handfuls; and the price should not be twenty solidi.

   • c. 1277, Dubrovnik (Ragusa), Croatia.

     Item statuimus et ordinamus quod quilibet Racuseus vel qui pro Racuseo distinguitur, qui portare voluerit vel per alium mittere formadium ad aliquas partes seu loca (praeterquum Racusium), videlicet a Cattaro usque Jadram, solvat Comuni pro Dohanâ ipperperum unum pro quolibet miliari librarum.

     Likewise we decree that anyone from Ragusa, or anyone considered Ragusan, who wants to take cheese, or have someone else take it for them, to any location (except Ragusa), in particular anywhere from Cattaro to Jadra, must pay to the communal customs-house one hyperpyron per ton [of cheese].

   • 1295, Pavia, Italy.

     Et precipiam consulibus fenestrariorum papie, ne aliquid faciant devetum sive interdictum contra illos qui vadunt per civitatem ad vendendum formagium qui vadant ad ipsum formagium vendendum per civitatem consueto more.

     And I instruct the heads of the window-makers’ guild of Pavia not to forbid the movement of those who pass through the city selling cheese in their usual manner.

   • 1345, Milan, Italy.

     Vinum carrum medium — Acetum brenta vna — Olium oliue pexum medium — Formagium pexum vnum — Carnes salatas pexum vnum — Sal starium vnum

     Half a cart of wine — one keg of vinegar — half a pensum of olive oil — one pensum of cheese — one pensum of salted meat — one bushel of salt.

   • 14th c., Como, Italy.

     ...Saluo, quod si aliqua persona ciuitatis Cumarum et confiniarum portaret formagium uel Mascharpas taliatas uel carnis de porcho taliatas uel incisas qui uel que sint librarum quinque uel abinde infra nichil soluatur.

     ...except that if anyone from the city of Como or its environs should take [outside of its jurisdiction] five pounds or less of cheese, slices of ricotta, slices or cuts of pork, or whatever it may be, [then] no tariff need be paid.

   • 1407, Corvara, Italy:

     De his qui vendunt formagium et salume ad minutum.

     Regarding those who sell cheese and salami in small quantities.

   • 15th c., northern Italy:

     Liber medicine in practica de sanitate corporis conservanda et de infirmitate et pestilencia fugienda, et de omnibus proprietatibus bladi laguminum, carnium volatilium, piscium, herbarum, formagium fructuum, lactis ovium, piscium specierum et de fisonomia.

     A medicinal book regarding the proper maintenance of bodily health; regarding the avoidance of illness and plague; regarding all the properties of wheat, vegetables, poultry, fish, herbs, cheese, fruit, sheep’s milk, and various types of fish; and regarding physiognomy.

   • c. 1491, Bergamo, Italy:

     Item, quòd non ſit aliqua perſona, cujuſvis gradus exiſtat, quæ audeat, vel præfumat portare, vel mittere pullos, aves, vel ova, vel beſtias ſalvaticas, vel vitulos, ſeu manzolos, capretos, vel lepores, graſſam, vel ſepum, vel formagium, aut pelles alicujus beſtiæ in Civitate, vel diſtrictu occiſæ extrà diſtrictum Berg. cauſa vendendi: ... Item, quòd nulla perſona Civitatis, vel diſtrictus Berg., nel [vel] aliundè emat in Civitate, vel Suburbiis Berg., nec propè ad tria miliaria caſeum, formagium, butirum, vel matellum, aut alia lacticinia in die Veneris aliqualitèr, nec in die Sabbathi, niſi elapſa hora nonæ; ſub pœna ſold. 20.

     Likewise [it is decreed] that no man, whatever his rank, should venture to take chickens, birds, eggs, wild animals, calves i.e. young oxen, kids, hares, grease, animal fat, formagium, or the hide of any animal slaughtered in the city—or in its environs—outside of the district of Bergamo for the purpose of selling them... Likewise [it is decreed] that nobody from the city of Bergamo or its environs, or elsewhere, should ever purchase—whether in the city, in the suburbs, or within a three-mile radius—cheese, formagium, butter, rustic cheese, or other dairy products on Friday, nor on Saturday, except after 9 o’clock, or else they will face a fine of twenty solidi.

   • 1543, Hungary:

     It. Vt singulj colonj iuxta numerum dicationis dent mediam pintham Budensem butirj, et vnum caseum vel formagium et vnum quartale mellis.

     Likewise [it has been decided] that each peasant should provide the decreed amount, namely half a 'Buda pint' of butter, one cheese or formagium, and one quart of honey.

Inflection

Second-declension noun (neuter).

	singular	plural
nominative	formāgium	formāgia
genitive	formāgiī formāgī1	formāgiōrum
dative	formāgiō	formāgiīs
accusative	formāgium	formāgia
ablative	formāgiō	formāgiīs
vocative	formāgium	formāgia

¹Found in older Latin (until the Augustan Age).

References

• Blaise, Albert (1975) “formaticum (-ticus, forma, formagium)”, in Dictionnaire latin-français des auteurs du moyen-âge: lexicon latinitatis medii aevi (Corpus christianorum) (overall work in Latin and French), Turnhout: Brepols, page 396
• Niermeyer, Jan Frederik (1976) “formaticus, formagium”, in Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden, Boston: E. J. Brill, page 446
• R. E. Latham, D. R. Howlett, & R. K. Ashdowne, editors (1975–2013), “formagium”, in Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources‎^[1], London: Oxford University Press for the British Academy, →ISBN, →OCLC