fōrmāgium

Meaning

1. Medieval Latinsynonym of cāseus (“cheese”)
   13th c., Bergamo, Italy...By ‘merchandise’ we mean wool garments, wrought or unwrought steel, copper, gavezolos, pears, apples, chestnuts, cheese, salt, oil, dried fish, grits, fine garments, stone vessels for the kitchen, and sacks; in particular we mean [quantities of] pears, apples, or chestnuts exceeding four bushels, cheese exceeding one pensum, oil exceeding one mina, and dried fish exceeding four handfuls; and the price should not be twenty solidi.
   c. 1277, Dubrovnik (Ragusa), Croatia. Item statuimus et ordinamus quod quilibet Racuseus vel qui pro Racuseo distinguitur, qui portare voluerit vel per alium mittere formadium ad aliquas partes seu loca (praeterquum Racusium), videlicet a Cattaro usque Jadram, solvat Comuni pro Dohanâ ipperperum unum pro quolibet miliari librarum.Likewise we decree that anyone from Ragusa, or anyone considered Ragusan, who wants to take cheese, or have someone else take it for them, to any location (except Ragusa), in particular anywhere from Cattaro to Jadra, must pay to the communal customs-house one hyperpyron per ton [of cheese].

Declension

Origins

Borrowed from Old French formage, itself from Early Medieval Latin fōrmāticum. Hence a doublet of the latter. Generally found in medieval documents from Northern Italy and environs.