Where does “pepper” come from?
Pepper comes from Middle English piper, from Old English piper, from Latin piper, from Ancient Greek πέπερι, from Sanskrit पिप्पलि, ultimately from Sanskrit पिप्पल.
pepper (English): A plant of the family Piperaceae; A spice...
Definitions
- A plant of the family Piperaceae; A spice...
Ancestry of “pepper”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | peper | pepper; The plant that produces the fruit... |
| 2 | Old English | piper | Alternative form of pipor |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | piper | — |
| 4 | Latin | piper | pepper |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | πέπερι | pepper; black pepper |
| 6 | Sanskrit | पिप्पलि | berry; peppercorn; long pepper |
| 7 | Sanskrit | पिप्पल | berry; the sacred fig, "Ficus religiosa"; a kind... |
Words derived from “pepper”