Tome
Tome is from Proto Indo European tom or tem, “to cut”, also the ancestor of temple, tonsure, anatomy, epitome, and atom. This became temein, “to cut”, in Greek, which was nominalized to tomos. Tomos originally meant “a piece cut off, a section,” but eventually was applied especially to a single volume of a multi-volume work. This was borrowed into Latin as tomus, “volume, tome”, which came into Old French as tome, and was borrowed into English in the early 1500’s. At that time it still meant “single volume of a larger work”, but by the late 1500’s it came to mean something like “a very big book.” Today tome carries connotations of age as well as size, possibly because of the similar-sounding words time and tomb.
Speaking of sounds: tome indicates a whole, earthy energy moving along a path towards manifestation. Perhaps it’s this manifestation aspect that makes tome such a popular word to use for books of magic. It’s interesting to compare this word with book, which emphasizes the “container” aspect, and volume, which also ends with manifestation.
Thanks to Jessa for suggesting this word of the day.
July 9th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Thanks for the background on the origin of tome — that it originally meant a “piece of a larger work” contrasts the modern context in which we usually find this word.
Thanks for comparing it to Volume and Book — I will add it to my “list” of variations of form and media.
PS — I love that the illustration is a word within one of your signature Druid Journal landscapes. Very appropriate for this project within the context of your site.
July 9th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
If you poke around back in the archives you’ll find volume already analyzed, you may remember that.
Glad you’re enjoying the pictures! It was a great idea of yours, Slade. And they’re great fun to make.
July 16th, 2007 at 11:52 pm
Thanks so much for choosing another of my suggestions. I love this word.
July 17th, 2007 at 8:53 am
Isn’t it a great one?