Where does “Primrose” come from?
Primrose (English) comes from Middle English primerose, from Old French primerose, from Latin Rosa, from Ancient Greek ῥόδον, from Old Persian wurdi, from Proto-Germanic wurdiz, from Proto-Indo-European wrti-, from Proto-Indo-European wert- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
Primrose (English): A flowering plant of the genus Primula
Definitions
- A flowering plant of the genus Primula
Ancestry of “Primrose”, step by step
Primrose traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English primerose
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | primerose | — |
| 2 | Old French | primerose | — |
| 3 | Latin | Rosa | rose |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ῥόδον | rose (usually Rosa gallica) |
| 5 | Old Persian | wurdi | flower |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | wurdiz | fate, destiny |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wrti- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |
via Scottish Gaelic ros
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scottish Gaelic | ros | A linseed, flax seed; A promontory, peninsula,... |
| 2 | Old Irish | rós | rose |
| 3 | Proto-Celtic | ɸrostos | Noun used in the daughter languages to refer to various protruding natural landforms, including |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via Proto-Brythonic rros
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Brythonic | rros | moor, heath |