Where does “rosary pea” come from?

rosary pea (English) comes from English rosary, from Latin rosarium, from Latin rosa, from Ancient Greek ῥόδον, from Old Persian wurdi, from Proto-Germanic wurdiz, from Proto-Indo-European wrti-, from Proto-Indo-European wert- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.

rosary pea (English): A leguminous plant, of species Abrus precatorius, or its round, red, poisonous seeds which are sometimes used as beads

Definitions

  1. A leguminous plant, of species Abrus precatorius, or its round, red, poisonous seeds which are sometimes used as beads

Ancestry of “rosary pea”, step by step

rosary pea traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English rosary

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrosaryPrayer beads, a string of beads used to keep...
2Latinrosariuma rose-garden; a rosary
3Latinrosaa rose; dear, rose, sweetheart, love; a word of...
4Ancient Greekῥόδονrose (usually Rosa gallica)
5Old Persianwurdiflower
6Proto-Germanicwurdizfate, destiny
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwrti-
8Proto-Indo-Europeanwert-to turn, to rotate
9Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel

via English pea

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpeaAny of certain plants of the family Fabaceae: Pisum sativum and others
2EnglishpeaseTo make peace between (conflicting people, states etc.); to reconcile
3Middle EnglishpeseA pea; The leguminous plant Pisum sativum;...
4Old Englishpisepea
5Late Latinpisanominative plural of pisum; accusative plural of...
6Latinpīsumpea, pease
7Ancient GreekπίσονQuoted by comic poet Alexis; pea, pease, seed of...
8Ancient Greekπίσοςpea, pease, seed of "Pisum sativum"
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer-Every word from Proto-Indo-European wert-Every word from Proto-Indo-European wrti-
rosary pea — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer