Where does “velvetweed” come from?
velvetweed (English) comes from English velvet, from Middle English velvet, from Old Occitan veluet, from Late Latin villutittus, from Latin villutus, from Latin villus, from Latin vellus, from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- — to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool.
velvetweed (English): The flowering plant Oenothera curtiflora
Definitions
- The flowering plant Oenothera curtiflora
Ancestry of “velvetweed”, step by step
velvetweed traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English velvet
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | velvet | A closely woven fabric with a thick short pile... |
| 2 | Middle English | velvet | velvet; Clothes made of velvet |
| 3 | Old Occitan | veluet | — |
| 4 | Late Latin | villutittus | — |
| 5 | Latin | villutus | shaggy, hairy |
| 6 | Latin | villus | hair, tuft of hair, shaggy hair |
| 7 | Latin | vellus | The wool shorn from a sheep; fleece; wool; The... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂welh₁- | to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool |