I'm in need of the combined brilliance of the forum. Despite my best efforts, and having an academic library at my disposal, I can't establish whether there is an etymological link between the words 'library' and 'libra/libro', the Latin for 'pound' (as in weight).
Frustratingly, 'library' seems to trace back to 'liber', meaning the stripped inner bark of a tree, used as a writing material. It's unrelated to the 'liber' ('free') from which modern words like 'liberty' derive. There seem to be plenty of sources to deny that connection, but no-one saying anything about the possible books/weight connection.
I would be very grateful for any enlightenment :-)

Etymology? I dunno..I've never been good with insects..;) Usually most of the more definitive dictionaries will have the word origins at the bottom of the definition..could try the Oxford Unabridged, or equivalent.

This is right up your alley, if you have time. (I hope your name being dropped.)

could try the Oxford Unabridged Been through quite a few, but there's nothing that either declares or disproves a link. The biggest dictionary we have here is the Compact Oxford, which comes in two volumes and has text so tiny it comes with it's own magnifying glass :-) Words like 'librate', which come from 'libra', are only traced back as far as 'libra' in the dictionaries. It's that bit I need to get behind.

Have you called a library? I'm not being silly...a large public or university library might have reference books not online (not everything is on the Internet). I am sure this question has been asked of librarians before, so they may have a ready reference response. Just a thought. I don't know offhand. I've been offline for awhile and just got my computer connected. It's temporarily unsettling. Sorry I can't be any help.

Nice thought. I work in an academic library :-) Hope you unsettlement settles down soon :-)

And I work in a public library. You'd think we'd be all over this topic, wouldn't you? ;) I think I need prayers rather than hope. I am having trouble locating my old address book from the file transfer. Sigh.

dialyn - Do you use Outlook? The Outlook personal address book would be [something].pab. Do a search for *.pab and you may be able to find it and link to it. Good luck!

I use Outlook Express, but, for some reason, all kinds of files are turning up when I do a search...everything except what I'm looking for. :( But I will try your extension...that may help. Just for fun, I've sent the question to my Stumpers listserv. They like a challenge. :)

Stumpers sounds like the place. Thanks :-)

So far, all we have is what we already knew: According to the OED, there is no link between Libra & Library. Liber bark is the bark of trees, according to Roman tradition, used in early times as a writing material. Libra (12 ounces)and meant "balance" was also the Roman pound - That is why we use LB for pound (the weight) and Great Britain uses L as the abbreviation for their currency - the pound. Stumpers response. Middle English librarie, from Anglo-Norman, from Latin librrium, bookcase, from neuter of librrius, of books, from liber, libr-, book. Source: The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. OE. librairie, F. librairie bookseller's shop, book trade, formerly, a library, fr. libraire bookseller, L. librarius, from liber book; cf. libraria bookseller's shop, librarium bookcase, It. libreria. Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

According to "A Sanskrit Primer" (Perry, Edward Delavan; Columbia University Press, 4th edition, 1936) the Sanskrit word for "book" in the sense of "manuscript" appears to be "pustaka", and that for "book" (as a work, rather than as a manuscript) appears to be "grantha". That doesn't appear to be much help, but if your querent has access to a Sanskrit scholar it might be instructive. Peter Ingerman

Mmmm, interesting. Still nothing that proves they're unrelated although I now suspect that they're not. I like the Sanskrit 'grantha'; the river I live and work by is called the Cam, but locally it's called the Granta :-) Thanks for that dialyn. I'll see if I can find a Sanskrit scholar - must be one around here somewhere. Menawhile, always glad to hear more. Have a good weekend all :-)

The main thing I found out, which one Stumpers person gently point out to me, is that the technician had set my brand new computer to January of 2002, which happily reflected in the dating of my emails. Sigh. I did think it was funny that he recommended a Sanskript scholar....that seems like possbily wandering off in the wrong direction but I could be very wrong about that.

I have a feeling Mr. Dillon would be happy to discuss the matter more completely...he didn't give his sources for his answers, unfortunately. I can't establish whether there is an etymological link between the words 'library'and 'libra/libro', the Latin for 'pound' (as in weight). No, there is not. Frustratingly, 'library' seems to trace back to 'liber', meaning the stripped inner bark of a tree, used as a writing material. Why is that frustrating? I find it rather satisfying. Elegant, even. Liber (genitive libris) is no doubt related to Greek lepein "to peel (as bark)", which in turn is related to English leper. This I find somewhat less satisfying. It's unrelated to the 'liber' ('free') from which modern words like 'liberty' derive. True. There seem to be plenty of sources to deny that connection, but no-one saying anything about the possible books/weight connection. Perhaps because there is none? Jay Dillon Jay Dillon / Rare Books & Manuscripts

Attached Link: http://www.hwwilson.com/print/barnhartbk.htm

Attached Link: http://www.wordsmith.org

C. T. Lewis in his Elementary Latin Dictionary posits an early form clibra from which he states that libra (pound) derives. It is from a class of "cli-" words implying tipping, sloping, slanting, etc. He relates libra to the root -cline as seen in decline, recline, inclination, and he considers libro (to balance) a cognate. (C)libra then would have its logic perhaps in the way the pound was originally weighed and standardized, on a balance scale. If he is correct, then libra never was related to the words for book and library; it merely lost its initial "c" and what was left bore an accidental resemblance to liber. Librarium came about by adding the unremarkable collectivizing "-arium" to whatever the collection was: in this case, books. There are a lot of these false positives in the etymology lab, like gunsel and sparrowgrass in English, to name a couple. John Dyson Spanish and Portuguese Indiana University

That sounds plausible; very satisfying. Dialyn, could you pass on my thanks to the folks at Stumpers please. And my thanks to you too, of course :-)

You're welcome. I will be happy to send on your thanks. :)