Where does “lime” come from?
lime (English) comes from French lime, from Latin lima, from Spanish lima, from Spanish Limón, from Arabic لَيْمُون, from Persian لیمو, from Sanskrit निम्बू, from Mundari lembu.
lime (English): Any inorganic material containing calcium,...
Definitions
- Any inorganic material containing calcium,...
Ancestry of “lime”, step by step
lime traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via French lime
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | lime | file; lime |
| 2 | Latin | lima | file |
| 3 | Spanish | lima | lime; lemon; file |
| 4 | Spanish | Limón | lemon |
| 5 | Arabic | لَيْمُون | lemon, lime |
| 6 | Persian | لیمو | lemon; lime |
| 7 | Sanskrit | निम्बू | common lime or lemon |
| 8 | Mundari | lembu | — |
via English Lind
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Lind | The lime tree, or linden tree |
| 2 | Middle English | lind | Alternative form of lynde |
| 3 | Old English | lind | lime, linden; shield |
| 4 | Old English | wudu | wood; forest, woods; tree |
| 5 | Old English | widu | wood, forest, grove; tree; timber |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | widuz | wood |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | widʰu- | forest, wood; tree, beam |