cassia

See also: Cassia and Cássia

English

A cassia flower

Etymology

From Latin cassia (“cinnamon”), from Ancient Greek κασσία, κασία, κάσια (kassía, kasía, kásia), from Hebrew קְצִיעָה‎ (qəṣīʿā), from Aramaic קְצִיעֲתָא‎ (qəṣīʿătā), from קְצַע‎ (qṣaʿ, “to cut off”). Compare Kezia.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈkæsiə/

Noun

cassia (countable and uncountable, plural cassias or cassiæ)

(uncountable) The spice made from the bark of members of the genus Cinnamomum other than true cinnamon (C. verum), when they are distinguished from cinnamon.
(countable) Such trees themselves, particularly the Chinese cinnamon, Cinnamomum cassia.
- 1697, Virgil, “The Second Pastoral. Or, Alexis.”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], OCLC 403869432, page 6:
  The Daughters of the Flood have ſearch'd the Mead / For Violets pale, and cropt the Poppy's Head: / The Short Narciſſus and fair Daffodil, / Pancies to pleaſe the Sight, and Caſſia ſvveet to ſmell: […]
(countable) Any of several tropical leguminous plants, of the genus Cassia.
(countable) Any of several tropical leguminous plants, of the genus Senna.
(countable, mistranslation from Chinese) The sweet osmanthus (O. fragrans).

Usage notes

Cassia is typically marketed in American English as “cinnamon” but is typically distinguished from Sri Lankan cinnamon in Europe. The oil content of the bark of the Saigon cinnamon is actually superior to that of true cinnamon, but Chinese cassia and Indonesian cinnamon have somewhat less.

Sweet osmanthus and cassia were both formerly 桂 in Chinese and the character is often translated as "cassia", owing to its greater importance in modern international trade; however, it is generally the sweet-smelling osmanthus that is meant.

Derived terms

Chinese cassia
Indonesian cassia
Vietnamese cassia

Translations

plant used as a spice

Maori: kahia

References

Taylor, William R. (1955) Exegesis on Psalms. The Interpreter's Bible, volume IV, page 235
“qṣyˁh”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
Löw, Immanuel (1924) Die Flora der Juden‎ (in German), volume 2, Wien und Leipzig: R. Löwit, pages 113–115
Löw, Immanuel (1881) Aramæische Pflanzennamen‎ (in German), Leipzig: Wilhelm Engelmann, pages 348–349

Anagrams

Caïssa, Isaacs

Latin

Alternative forms

casia

Etymology

From Ancient Greek κασσία, κασία. κάσια (kassía, kasía. kásia), from Hebrew קְצִיעָה‎ (qəṣīʿā), from Aramaic קְצִיעֲתָא‎ (qəṣīʿătā), from קְצַע‎ (qṣaʿ, “to cut off”).

Pronunciation

(Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈkas.si.a/, [ˈkäs̠ːiä]

(Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈkas.si.a/, [ˈkäsːiä]

Noun

cassia f (genitive cassiae); first declension

Chinese cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia)
golden shower (Cassia fistula)
- 690–750, Excerpta ex libro glossarum published in the Corpus glossariorum latinorum V page 179, 6 (Cassia fistula)
  Citisum genus arboris quasi catanum erba odoribera uergilius et uix humiles apibus casias rorem que
  Cytisus is a kind of tree like juniper a sweet-smelling herb, greener and hardly serving the bees in comparison to goldenrain tree and rosemary.

Declension

First-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	cassia	cassiae
Genitive	cassiae	cassiārum
Dative	cassiae	cassiīs
Accusative	cassiam	cassiās
Ablative	cassiā	cassiīs
Vocative	cassia	cassiae

References

“cassia”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
cassia in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
Genaust, Helmut (1996), “cassia”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch der botanischen Pflanzennamen (in German), 3^rd edition, Basel: Birkhäuser Verlag, →ISBN, page 132b
Taylor, William R. (1955) Exegesis on Psalms. The Interpreter's Bible, volume IV, page 235
“qṣyˁh”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
Löw, Immanuel (1924) Die Flora der Juden‎ (in German), volume 2, Wien und Leipzig: R. Löwit, pages 113–115
Löw, Immanuel (1881) Aramæische Pflanzennamen‎ (in German), Leipzig: Wilhelm Engelmann, pages 348–349