Where does “rhubarb” come from?
Rhubarb comes from Middle English rubarbe, from Anglo-Norman reubarbe, from Latin rheubarbarum, from Koine Greek ῥῆον βάρβαρον, combining Ancient Greek ῥῆον with Middle Persian rēwand.
rhubarb (English): Any plant of the genus "Rheum", especially Rheum...
Definitions
- Any plant of the genus "Rheum", especially Rheum...
Ancestry of “rhubarb”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | rubarbe | A kind of plant belonging to the genus "Rheum";... |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | reubarbe | — |
| 3 | Latin | reubarbarum | rhubarb |
| 4 | Koine Greek | ῥῆον βαρβαρικόν | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ῥῆον | rhubarb |
| 6 | Middle Persian | rēwand | — |
| 7 | Middle Persian | lypʾs | rhubarb |
| 8 | Proto-Iranian | (h)rabā́š | rhubarb; fennel |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | (s)rabʰā́ćš | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | -ā́ćš | animal and plant suffix |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | -eḱés | — |