Where does “rose” come from?
rose (Middle French) comes from Old French rosé, from Latin Rosa, from Ancient Greek ῥόδον, from Old Persian wurdi, from Proto-Germanic wurdiz, from Proto-Indo-European wrti-, from Proto-Indo-European wert-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
Ancestry of “rose”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | rosé | — |
| 2 | Latin | Rosa | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ῥόδον | rose; 423 BCE, Aristophanes, The Clouds :ῥόδα μ’... |
| 4 | Old Persian | wurdi | flower |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wurdiz | fate, destiny |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wrti- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |