Where does “columbine” come from?
Columbine comes from Old French columbin, from Latin columbinus meaning "of doves," derived from Latin columbus "dove" and the Latin suffix -inus, ultimately from Ancient Greek κόλυμβος related to κολυμβάω "to dive."
columbine (English): Any plant of the genus "Aquilegia", having...
Definitions
- Any plant of the genus "Aquilegia", having...
Ancestry of “columbine”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | columbyne | columbine |
| 2 | Old French | columbin | — |
| 3 | Latin | columbinus | Of or pertaining to a dove or pigeon; dovish,... |
| 4 | Latin | -īnus | of or pertaining to; -ine |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | -īnos | of/belonging to |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |