Where does “Rooibos” come from?
Rooibos (German) comes from Afrikaans rooibos, from Afrikaans rooi, from Dutch rooi, from Middle English roye, from Old French roie, from Vulgar Latin riga, from Gaulish rica, from Proto-Celtic ɸrikā — passed , crossed.
Rooibos (German): rooibos plant
Ancestry of “Rooibos”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Afrikaans | rooibos | rooibos |
| 2 | Afrikaans | rooi | red |
| 3 | Dutch | rooi | Alternative form of rood |
| 4 | Middle English | roye | — |
| 5 | Old French | roie | — |
| 6 | Vulgar Latin | riga | second-person singular present active imperative... |
| 7 | Gaulish | rica | furrow |
| 8 | Proto-Celtic | ɸrikā | furrow |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | perḱ- | colored; motley; to open, rip up |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |