Where does “carnation” come from?
Carnation comes from Middle French carnation, from a root meaning flesh-colored, referring to the flower's typical hue.
carnation (English): A type of Eurasian plant widely cultivated for...
Definitions
- A type of Eurasian plant widely cultivated for...
Ancestry of “carnation”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | carnation | person's color or complexion |
| 2 | Italian | carnagione | complexion |
| 3 | Italian | carne | meat, flesh |
| 4 | Latin | carnem | accusative singular of carō |
| 5 | Latin | carō | flesh, meat of an animal |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | karō | piece, portion; meat |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱer- | to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kr̥- | to turn, to bend |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ker- | army |