If corn is native to the american continent how come Julius Caesar mentions it in "the gallic war"?

Answer 1

All grains used to be comsidered a "corn"- wheat, rye, barley - and of course, later on, what we now know as corn. It was a different way of saying "grains".

to copy and paste from the source below -

"grain," O.E. corn, from P.Gmc. *kurnam "small seed," from PIE base *ger- "wear away" (O.Slav. zruno "grain," Skt. jr- "to wear down," L. granum). The sense of the O.E. word was "grain with the seed still in" rather than a particular plant. Locally understood to denote the leading crop of a district. Restricted to corn on the cob in America (originally Indian corn, but the adjective was dropped), usually wheat in England, oats in Scotland and Ireland, while korn means "rye" in parts of Germany. Introduced to China by 1550, it thrived where rice did not grow well and was a significant factor in the 18th century population boom there. Cornflakes first recorded 1907. Corned beef so called for the "corns" or grains of salt with which it is preserved. Cornrows as a hair style is first recorded 1971. Corny "old-fashioned" is Amer.Eng. 1932, originally, "something appealing to country folk."

Answer 2

The American plant is actually maize. The name "corn" was applied later because of its abundance on the continent.

The word "corn" was used throughout Great Britain to mean any kind of grain, particularly that which was most abundant -- wheat in England and in Scotland, oats.

My guess would be the translator used the quickest way out and translated grain as corn. It was likely semolina.

Answer 3

It was indeed Hal, when Jules(as he was known to his friends) was told by his wife that she had her Visa card stolen during the Saturday match between the Lions and Christians (lions won 47-0) at the Coliseum, he decided not to report it to the Imperial Guard as the thief spent 500 soldari less than his wife did every week.

Answer 4

Well I know that in Britain pre americas they used to call wheat 'corn'. So it could be a botched/strange translation.

Answer 5

Corn covers other grains apart from maize

Answer 6

I believe he meant "wheat." In other countries and in other times the world "corn" was used to describe what we call "wheat." Will someone please correct me if I am mistaken.