Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “herb” come from?

Herb comes from Middle English erbe, from Old French erbe, from Latin herba, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gʰreH₁-.

herb (English): Any green, leafy plant, or parts thereof, used to...

Definitions

  1. Any green, leafy plant, or parts thereof, used to...

Ancestry of “herb”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englisherbe—
2Old Frencherbegrass; herb
3Latinherbagrass, herbage; herb; weeds
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰreh₁-to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow

Words derived from “herb”

  • herbicide
  • herbed
  • herby
  • herbology
  • herbless
  • willowherb
  • potherb
  • mycoherbicide
  • herbologist
  • bioherbicide
  • herbwoman
  • herbiferous
  • herblore
  • multiherb
  • herbist
  • herblike
  • nonherbicide
  • mycoherbicidal
  • herbiness
  • herbarian
  • herbous
  • herbily
  • paleoherb
  • antiherbicide
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰreh₁- →