Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “rhubarby” come from?

rhubarby (English) comes from English rhubarb, from Middle English rubarbe, from Anglo-Norman reubarbe, from Latin reubarbarum, from Koine Greek ῥῆον βαρβαρικόν, from Ancient Greek ῥῆον, from Middle Persian rēwand, from Middle Persian lypʾs.

rhubarby (English): Resembling or characteristic of rhubarb

Definitions

  1. Resembling or characteristic of rhubarb

Ancestry of “rhubarby”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrhubarbAny plant of the genus "Rheum", especially Rheum...
2Middle EnglishrubarbeA kind of plant belonging to the genus "Rheum";...
3Anglo-Normanreubarbe—
4Latinreubarbarumrhubarb
5Koine Greekῥῆον βαρβαρικόν—
6Ancient Greekῥῆονrhubarb
7Middle Persianrēwand—
8Middle Persianlypʾsrhubarb
9Proto-Iranian(h)rabā́šrhubarb; fennel
10Proto-Indo-Iranian(s)rabʰā́ćš—
11Proto-Indo-Iranian-ā́ćšanimal and plant suffix
12Proto-Indo-European-eḱés—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -eḱés →