Where does “figwort” come from?

figwort (English) comes from English wort, from Middle English wort, from Old English wyrt, from Old English bisċop, from Latin episcopus, from Ancient Greek ἐπίσκοπος, from Ancient Greek ἐπισκοπέω, from Ancient Greek ἐπι- — to be hot; to burn.

figwort (English): Any of various woodland herbs and shrubs of the...

Definitions

  1. Any of various woodland herbs and shrubs of the...

Ancestry of “figwort”, step by step

figwort traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via English wort

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwortA plant; herb; vegetable; Any of various plants...
2Middle EnglishwortA plant; Wort or an analogous mixture
3Old Englishwyrtplant; herb; wort
4Old Englishbisċopbishop
5Latinepiscopusan overseer, supervisor, bishop in a Christian...
6Ancient Greekἐπίσκοποςwatcher, guardian; scout, watch; overseer,...
7Ancient GreekἐπισκοπέωI watch over
8Ancient Greekἐπι-on, upon, on top of, all over, covering; on,...
9Ancient Greekἐπίas well, besides; For usage in composition, see...
10Ancient GreekἩμέρα
11Ancient Greekἦμαρday; by day; midday
12Proto-Hellenicā́mərday
13Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eh₃mr̥heat
14Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eh₃-to be hot; to burn

via English fig

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfigA fruit-bearing tree or shrub of the genus...
2Middle EnglishfigeA fig tree; A fig; A kind of boil or sore
3Anglo-Normanfiguefig
4Old Frenchfiguefig
5Occitanfigafig
6Old Occitanfigafig
7Vulgar Latinficafig; fig, fig-tree
8Latinficusfig tree; fig; hemorrhoids
9Phoenician??Ripe fig

via Old English ficwyrt

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishficwyrtfigwort
2Old Englishfīcfig, fig-tree, fig-disease, venereal ulcer,...
3Proto-Germanicfīkaz
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eh₃-