Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wallflower” come from?

wallflower (English) comes from English flower, from Middle English flour, from Anglo-Norman flur, from Old French flor, from Latin flōs, from Proto-Italic flōs, from Proto-Indo-European bʰleh₃-s, from Proto-Indo-European bʰleh₃-.

wallflower (English): Any of several short-lived herbs or shrubs of the...

Definitions

  1. Any of several short-lived herbs or shrubs of the...

Ancestry of “wallflower”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishflowerA colorful, conspicuous structure associated with...
2Middle EnglishflourA flower; A depiction or likeness of a flower;...
3Anglo-NormanflurAlternative form of flor
4Old Frenchflorflower
5Latinflōs—
6Proto-Italicflōsflower, blossom
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰleh₃-sflower, blossom
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰleh₃-bloom, flower
9Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
10Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

Words derived from “wallflower”

  • wallflowery
  • wallflowerish
  • ウォールフラワー
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →