Where does “girofle” come from?
girofle (French) comes from Latin caryophyllum, from Ancient Greek καρυόφυλλον, from Ancient Greek φύλλον, from Proto-Indo-European bʰolh₃-yom, from Proto-Indo-European bʰleh₃-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-.
girofle (French): clove
Ancestry of “girofle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | caryophyllum | nominative neuter singular of caryophyllus;... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | καρυόφυλλον | clove tree; its dried flower bud |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | φύλλον | leaf; foliage; plant |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰolh₃-yom | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰleh₃- | bloom, flower |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |
Words derived from “girofle”