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#111272 - 08/30/03 08:11 PM imposthume
Bingley Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/09/00
Posts: 3065
Loc: Jakarta
Also from the Dryden translation of Plutarch's Life of Sulla:

http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_text_plutarch_sylla.htm
And the very day before his end, it being told him that the magistrate Granius deferred the payment of a public debt, in expectation of his death, he sent for him to his house, and placing his attendants about him, caused him to be strangled; but through the straining of his voice and body, the imposthume breaking, he lost a great quantity of blood. Upon this, his strength failing him, after spending a troublesome night, he died, leaving behind him two young children by Metella. Valeria was afterwards delivered of a daughter, named Posthuma; for so the Romans call those who are born after the father's death.


No relation between imposthume and Posthuma apparently.

A more modern translation (http://makeashorterlink.com/?A28E510C5) gives abscess.


Bingley
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Bingley

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#111273 - 10/16/03 01:49 PM Re: imposthume
wwh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 01/18/01
Posts: 13858
Dear Bingley: sorry I missed this when it was posted. I never heard the word.
A collection of pus or purulent matter in any part of an animal body; an abscess.

Origin: A corruption of aposteme. See Aposteme.

Source: Websters Dictionary
Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Definition: \Ap"os*teme\, n. [L. apostema, Gr. ? the separation of
corrupt matter into an ulcer, fr. ? to stand off: cf. F.
apost[`e]me. See {Apostasy}.] (Med.)
An abscess; a swelling filled with purulent matter. [Written
corruptly {imposthume}.]

I never heard this one before either.


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#111274 - 10/30/03 06:54 AM Re: imposthume
dxb Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 03/06/02
Posts: 1692
Loc: UK
Just by-the-by. The first time I came across Postumus as a name was in 'I Claudius' by Robert Graves. Postumus (no 'h' in this case) was a cousin of Claudius and one of the few good guys in the book, so naturally he was banished following a false accusation of rape.

I now have a work colleague, from the Netherlands, named Richard Posthuma. So the name lives on.




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