A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Butyrum,-i (s.n.II), abl. sg. butyro; butyron,-i (s.n.II), abl. sg. butyro; also ‘buturum,-i (s.n.II)’ (Glare) [> Gk. boutyron (s.n.I) “said to be a Scythian word, but prob. bous-tyros” (Lewis & Short), i.e. “cow-cheese”; from Gk. Bous, cow + -tyros, cheese): butter; see butter (Eng.noun); also a substance resembling butter, especially in consistency (e.g. butter of zinc); see tyr-, tyro-, in Gk. comp;

NOTE: ‘butyrum’ may also be sometimes used of ‘cheese,’ ‘cream’ and ‘milk.’

Cream, q.v., as in “the best, most desireable, or choicest part of something; the quintessence” (WIII):

‘Butyrum sapientae:’ the cream of wisdom (of Barhebraeus, Gregory Bar Hebraeus, his magnum opus, an exposition on the whole philosophy of Aristotle).

“(alchemy) chemicals with butter-like consistency, mostly chloride salts:

butyrum antimonii ― SbCl3; butyrum arsenici ― K3AsO4

butyrum zinci ― ZnCl2” [from: Wiktionary “butyrum” Jan 2024).

Butryum saturni, cheese of Saturn, i.e. Altheus of Lead; lead is often associated with the Roman god Saturn; “lead is the first and oldest of the seven metals of alchemy (gold, silver, mercury, copper, lead, iron & tin). The symbol for lead was also used to represent the planet Saturn in astrology” [Royal Society of Chemistry].

- [sapor; taste] pinguis sapor nec calore, nec acrimonia gustum sollicitat, sed linguam orisque partes lentore quodam oblinit. Is praecipue animadvertitur in oleo, butyro, adipe, &c. (Ray), fatty is a taste with neither heat nor does it distress flavor]with acrimony [i.e. a biting or piercing quality] but it coats the tongue and parts of the mouth with a certain viscosity. It is particularly noticed in oil, butter, lard [i.e. suet] &c.

- [Tremella marina umbilicata. The Navel Laver] ad rupes & in arenosis nascens, quam Insulani cum butyro coctam comedunt (Dill.), growing on rocks and in sandy places, which the islanders eat cooked with butter.

- Boletis (inquit J.B.) membranulas lividi coloris, antequam in cibos veniant, detrahere oportet, ac tum demum ipsos aqua bullire, butyroque & aromatibus condire convenit (Ray), with Boletes it is necessary (said Joannes Bauhinus) to remove the little membranes of a livid [i.e. bruised; discolored] color, before they may come into food, but also afterward it is suitable to boil them in water, and to season with butter and spices. - Si butyro frigatur herba, & abdomini imponatur, certum est contra tormina remedium. [Cam.] ad quod mulierculae ceu ad sacram anchoram confugiunt (Ray), if the herb may be fried in butter, and applied to the abdomen [i.e. the belly], it is a sure [i.e. reliable] cure against bowel pain [i.e. gripe, i.e. gastric or intestinal pain, colic] to which (common) women resort as if to a ‘sacred trust’ [i.e. ‘sacred anchor,’ i.e. hope].

- vel recentes etiam recisis pediculis friguntur cum butyro atque ovo simul in sartagine coctis, dissolutis & simul mixtis (Ray), or fresh [Boletes] are fried, after the stipes have been trimmed, cooked with butter and eggs together in a frying pan, separated and mixed all together.