In the Middle East and the Lebanon I’ve often heard females referring to eye-liner and eye shadow as lapis. Someone explained to me that the origin was due to the colour powders originally made from crushed stone and applied to the lids. I had always thought that it was most likely that there was a transfer in word use from the material applied to the applicator itself.

The origin of the word pencil stems from two latin words meaning tail and small tail/ brush (penis— pincellus). Originally there was no lead involved with pencil and in fact the old French word for pencil ‘pincel’ is derived from is the same stem as for “pinceau:” “brush” in French.

Given the wide and early use of ‘lapis’ across many languages and the later appearance of the word and use of ‘pincel’, my interpretation would be that the oriental manner of applying makeup and crush-stone powders preceded the paint-brush use in the areas that foreign travellers, artists and artisans migrated to, and that at some point the two mingled, with later evolution of the word pencil or lapis, as adopted, to include the insertion of a lead point and to mean the writing instrument and not the pencil case, as it was also taken to mean after the Middle Ages.

“Garretta” as a butcher’s cut or culinary term probably comes from the French: Jarret… de porc,… de veau… etc: The part from under the knee to the ankle.

The precise cut for the Garretta and the Jarret might probably vary. Just as the Eisbein would have its own particularities.

This is almost perfect.

Except that pala tas-sieq is foot.

Sole is il-qiegh tas-sieq.

My Maltese is not THAT good but I am bombarded by anatomical terms in Maltese all day long, seven days a week.

For the past fifty years that is.

Many thanks for explanation of origin of the word lapes.

As far as I know: Spanish pencil>lapiz.

Doesn’t “rigel” translate to “lower limb” to use the anatomical term?

lapis=pencil

the word’s still used in some regions.

http://oxforddictionaries.com/translate/italian-english/lapis?q=lapis

“Lapis haematites” = Latin for “haematite”. The reddish stone was used for drawing and writing. I believe Kenneth Zammit Tabona can tell you about some exquisite bozzettos done in haematite.

Hence the two Italian words for pencil:

“lapis” from “lapis”

“matita” from “haematites”

In Spanish, “pencil” is “lápiz”.

I hope that answers your question.

Yes. I know lapis=stone in Latin. Lapis lazuli and all that.

My query is where does lapes=pencil come from. I don’t know of any other language where the word for pencil is anything like lapes.

Tenk ju inti Baxxter!