Where does “rosary” come from?
Rosary comes from Latin rosarium, a noun formed with the suffix -arium from Latin rosa (rose) and the agent suffix -arius, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European reh₁d- meaning to scratch or gnaw.
rosary (English): Prayer beads, a string of beads used to keep...
Definitions
- Prayer beads, a string of beads used to keep...
Ancestry of “rosary”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | rosarium | a rose-garden; a rosary |
| 2 | Latin | rosa | a rose; dear, rose, sweetheart, love; a word of... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ῥόδον | rose (usually Rosa gallica) |
| 4 | Old Persian | wurdi | flower |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wurdiz | fate, destiny |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wrti- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |