Where does “desert onion” come from?

desert onion (English) comes from English desert, from Middle English desert, from Old French desert, from Latin dēsertum, from Latin dēsertus, from Latin dēserō, from Latin dē-, from Latin dē — afterwards, post; by, at.

desert onion (English): Allium macropetalum, a species of wild onion

Definitions

  1. Allium macropetalum, a species of wild onion

Ancestry of “desert onion”, step by step

desert onion traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English desert

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdesertThat which is deserved or merited; a just...
2Middle EnglishdesertThe situation of deserving something; That which...
3Old Frenchdesertdesert (desolate terrain)
4Latindēsertuma desert, wasteland
5Latindēsertusdeserted, abandoned, forsaken; having been deserted, etc
6Latindēserōto leave, depart, desert, quit
7Latindē-of; from
8Latinof; concerning; about
9Latinpostbehind; after, since, besides, except; behind,...
10Latinposteablative singular of postis
11Proto-Italicpostibehind, after
12Proto-Indo-Europeanpóstiafter
13Proto-Indo-Europeanpósafterwards, post; by, at

via English onion

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishonionA monocotyledonous plant (Allium cepa), allied to garlic, used as vegetable and spice
2Middle EnglishonyounThe onion plant
3Old Frenchoignononion
4Latinūniōa unity, union
5Latin-iō
6Proto-West Germanic-jōForms agent nouns from verbs
7Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
9Chichewaiyehe, she
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pós
desert onion — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer