Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pimpernel” come from?

pimpernel (English) comes from Old French pimpernele, from Middle French pimpinelle, from Medieval Latin pimpinella.

pimpernel (English): A plant of the genus "Pimpinella", especially...

Definitions

  1. A plant of the genus "Pimpinella", especially...

Ancestry of “pimpernel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchpimpernele—
2Middle Frenchpimpinelleburnet saxifrage
3Medieval Latinpimpinella—
Every word from Medieval Latin pimpinella →