Where does “sesame” come from?

Sesame comes from Middle English sisamie, from Latin sisami and sesamum, from Ancient Greek σήσαμον, from Aramaic שושמא, with the ultimate Akkadian origin uncertain.

sesame (English): A tropical Asian plant bearing small flat seeds...

Definitions

  1. A tropical Asian plant bearing small flat seeds...

Ancestry of “sesame”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsisamie—
2Latinsīsamum—
3Ancient GreekΣήσαμονsesame
4Aramaicשושמא—
5Aramaicשומשומא—
6Akkadianšamaššammuman oil-producing plant and its seeds, probably sesame
7Akkadianšamnumoil, fat, cream
8Proto-Semitic*šamn-fat (foodstuff)

Words derived from “sesame”

Every word from Proto-Semitic *šamn- →Every word from Akkadian šamnum →Every word from Akkadian šamaššammum →