Etymology Explorer › English

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 GreekΣήσαμον—
4Aramaicשושמא—
5Aramaicשומשומא—
6Akkadianšamaššammum—
7Akkadianšamnum—
8Proto-Semitic*šamn-—

Words derived from “sesame”

  • sesamoid
  • sesamoiditis
  • sesamin
  • sesamol
  • intersesamoid
  • sesame leaf
Every word from Proto-Semitic *šamn- →