Where does “basil” come from?
Basil derives from Latin basiliscus, from Ancient Greek βασιλίσκος, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ-, with the sense development tracing through Ancient Greek βασιλεύς.
basil (English): A plant; The leaves of this plant used as a herb;...
Definitions
- A plant; The leaves of this plant used as a herb;...
Ancestry of “basil”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | basile | basil |
| 2 | Latin | basilicum | a royal or princely robe; basil; nominative... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | βασιλικός | royal, kingly, regal |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -ικός | of or pertaining to, in the manner of; -ic |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -κός | forms adjectives with the sense of 'of or... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |