Where does “moonflower” come from?

moonflower (English) comes from English flower, from Middle English flour, from Anglo-Norman flur, from Old French flor, from Latin flōs, from Proto-Italic flōs, from Proto-Indo-European bʰleh₃-s, from Proto-Indo-European bʰleh₃-.

moonflower (English): Any of several plants that flower at night

Definitions

  1. Any of several plants that flower at night

Ancestry of “moonflower”, step by step

moonflower traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English flower

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishflowerA colorful, conspicuous structure associated with...
2Middle EnglishflourA flower; A depiction or likeness of a flower;...
3Anglo-NormanflurAlternative form of flor
4Old Frenchflorflower
5Latinflōsflower, blossom
6Proto-Italicflōsflower, blossom
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰleh₃-sflower, blossom
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰleh₃-bloom, flower
9Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
10Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-

via English Moon

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishMoonThe Earth's moon; the sole natural satellite of the Earth, represented in astronomy and astrology by ☾
2Middle EnglishMoneA lamentation; a sorrowful moan or expression
3Old Englishmānbad, criminal, false; shameful act; crime;...
4Sanskritमहादेवthe "great God"
5Sanskritमहाcombining form of महत्; buffalo; great, large,...
6Proto-Indo-Aryanmaźʰā́
7Proto-Indo-Iranianmaȷ́ʰā́big, great
8Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂sbig, great
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-