Where does “torchwort” come from?
torchwort (English) comes from English wort, from Middle English wort, from Old English wyrt, from Old English bisċop, from Latin episcopus, from Ancient Greek ἐπίσκοπος, from Ancient Greek ἐπισκοπέω, from Ancient Greek ἐπι- — to be hot; to burn.
torchwort (English): The common mullein
Definitions
- The common mullein
Ancestry of “torchwort”, step by step
torchwort traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English wort
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wort | A plant; herb; vegetable; Any of various plants... |
| 2 | Middle English | wort | A plant; Wort or an analogous mixture |
| 3 | Old English | wyrt | plant; herb; wort |
| 4 | Old English | bisċop | bishop |
| 5 | Latin | episcopus | an overseer, supervisor, bishop in a Christian... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ἐπίσκοπος | watcher, guardian; scout, watch; overseer,... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ἐπισκοπέω | I watch over |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | ἐπι- | on, upon, on top of, all over, covering; on,... |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | ἐπί | as well, besides; For usage in composition, see... |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | Ἡμέρα | — |
| 11 | Ancient Greek | ἦμαρ | day; by day; midday |
| 12 | Proto-Hellenic | ā́mər | day |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eh₃mr̥ | heat |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eh₃- | to be hot; to burn |
via English torch
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | torch | A stick with a flame on one end, used chiefly as... |
| 2 | French | torcher | to wipe with a cloth to remove dirt; to flare; to... |
| 3 | French | torche | torch; first-person singular present indicative... |
| 4 | Old French | torche | bundle; torch |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | torca | — |
| 6 | Latin | torquis | chaplet |
| 7 | Latin | torqueō | to spin, whirl, twirl, turn, cause to revolve |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | terkʷ- | to turn, spin |