Where does “turmeric” come from?

Turmeric comes from Middle English turmeryte, a word of uncertain ultimate origin whose earliest meaning remains unknown.

turmeric (English): An Indian plant, "Curcuma longa", with aromatic...

Definitions

  1. An Indian plant, "Curcuma longa", with aromatic...

Ancestry of “turmeric”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishturmeryteturmeric
2Old Frenchterreearth; soil; land, property
3LatinTerraTerra goddess of the Earth
4Proto-Indo-Europeanters-dry

Words derived from “turmeric

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ters-Every word from Latin TerraEvery word from Old French terre