Where does “rosewood” come from?
Rosewood derives from English rose, which comes from English rosé, from French rosé, from Latin rosa, from Ancient Greek ῥόδον, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots related to brightness or shining.
rosewood (English): The fragrant wood of Dalbergia nigra, a Brazilian...
Definitions
- The fragrant wood of Dalbergia nigra, a Brazilian...
Ancestry of “rosewood”, step by step
rosewood 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 |
via English wood
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wood | The substance making up the central part of the... |
| 2 | Middle English | wode | madness, insanity, an overmastering emotion,... |
| 3 | Old English | wudu | wood; forest, woods; tree |
| 4 | Old English | widu | wood, forest, grove; tree; timber |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | widuz | wood |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | widʰu- | forest, wood; tree, beam |