Where does “rosemary” come from?
Rosemary comes from English rosé and Latin rosa meaning "rose," combined with English Mary from Latin Maria, ultimately from Aramaic מַרְיָם and Ancient Greek ῥόδον.
rosemary (English): A shrub, "Rosmarinus officinalis", that...
Definitions
- A shrub, "Rosmarinus officinalis", that...
Ancestry of “rosemary”, step by step
rosemary traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English rose
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | rose | A shrub of the genus "Rosa", with red, pink,... |
| 2 | Middle English | rose | rose; The rose as a heraldic emblem; A morally... |
| 3 | Old English | rōse | rose |
| 4 | Latin | Rosa | rose |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ῥόδον | rose (usually Rosa gallica) |
| 6 | Old Persian | wurdi | flower |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | wurdiz | fate, destiny |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wrti- | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |