Where does “Rosemary” come from?
Rosemary is a compound of rose and Mary, with Mary deriving from French Marie, Latin Maria, Ancient Greek Μαρία, and Aramaic מרים, likely meaning "beloved" or "of the sea."
Rosemary (English): A shrub, Salvia rosmarinus (formerly Rosmarinus officinalis), that originates from Europe and Asia Minor and produces a fragrant herb used in cooking and perfumes
Definitions
- A shrub, Salvia rosmarinus (formerly Rosmarinus officinalis), that originates from Europe and Asia Minor and produces a fragrant herb used in cooking and perfumes
Ancestry of “Rosemary”, step by step
Rosemary traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English rosé
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | rosé | A pale pink wine made by removing the dark grape... |
| 2 | French | rosé | pinkish; rosé |
| 3 | German | rosé | pale pink |
| 4 | Middle High German | rôse | rose |
| 5 | Old High German | rōsa | — |
| 6 | Latin | Rosa | rose |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ῥόδον | rose (usually Rosa gallica) |
| 8 | Old Persian | wurdi | flower |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | wurdiz | fate, destiny |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | wrti- | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |
via Middle English rosmary
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | rosmary | — |
| 2 | Middle English | rosmarine | — |
| 3 | Old French | rosmarin | — |
| 4 | Latin | rōsmarīnus | rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, syn. Rosmarinus officinalis) |
| 5 | Latin | marīnus | marine; of or pertaining to the sea |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | Μαρῖνος | known from the ancient Roman and Byzantine Periods |
| 7 | Latin | marinus | marine; of or pertaining to the sea |
| 8 | Latin | -inus | Of or pertaining to; -ine |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | -īnos | of/belonging to |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |