Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “chive” come from?

chive (English) comes from Middle English cyve, from Old French civé, from Latin cēpa.

chive (English): A perennial plant, "Allium schoenoprasum",...

Definitions

  1. A perennial plant, "Allium schoenoprasum",...

Ancestry of “chive”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcyvechive; Alternative form of sive
2Old Frenchcivé—
3Latincēpa—

Words derived from “chive”

  • shiv
  • shive
Every word from Latin cēpa →