Rooted Ramblings: The origin of plant names

By Bob Larson, Intern, Portage County Master Gardener Volunteer

The Bard said, “What’s in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Yet the names people in the past gave to the common plants in our gardens were rarely arbitrary. Our ancestors lived alongside these plants and found countless ways to use them—as medicine and food, in magical rituals and religious ceremonies, and in the myths and folklore they passed down through generations. Learning the etymology — the origins of plant names — can provide a doorway to this rich lore.

The ancient Greeks called a plant that grew in rocky terrain petroselinon (“rock celery”). Its Latin  form, petrosilium, eventually evolved into the English word parsley. According to Greek legend, parsley first sprang from the blood of the infant Opheltes, who was killed by a serpent. Opheltes was later given the name Archemorus, meaning “forerunner of doom.” This grim origin story may explain why the Greeks reserved parsley primarily for ceremonial purposes, using it to decorate tombs and as garlands in funeral games. In Greek, the expression “to need parsley” meant to be close to death.

The Romans used parsley as a deodorizer, and some believed it could serve as a remedy for inebriation. It was not until the post-Classical period that parsley began to be widely used as food.

Sage has been highly praised since ancient times for its curative powers. This is reflected in its Latin name, Salvia, derived from salvus, meaning “healthy” or “safe” (compare the English words “salvage” and “salvation”). Sage was used for a remarkable variety of purposes: cooking, relieving colds and fevers, dental care, treating wounds, cleaning, purification, and magical practices intended to ward off harmful influences. Sage was a common ingredient in recipes for Four Thieves Vinegar, which, according to legend, was concocted by thieves to protect themselves from the plague as they robbed the homes of the sick and dead.

Sage was believed to have life-prolonging properties. An old Latin proverb asks, Cur moriatur homo cui salvia crescit in horto? (“Why should anyone die who has sage growing in the garden?”).

Sage was also believed to promote wisdom, which may explain its association with another meaning of the English word sage: “a wise person.” The connection, however, is only coincidental. The word sage in the sense of “a wise person” comes from a different Latin source, sapio, meaning “to be wise.” Homo sapiens (“wise human”) also derives from sapio.

The Romans called a Mediterranean herb that grew near the shore ros marinus, meaning “dew of the sea” or “ocean dew.” (Too bad there isn’t a related plant growing at high elevations that we could call ros montanus, or “mountain dew”!) Over time, ros marinus evolved into the name rosemary.

Since ancient times, rosemary has been associated with memory and remembrance. Wreaths and bouquets of rosemary were used on occasions associated with remembrance, including weddings and funerals. The herb was also used as a New Year’s decoration— a fitting answer to the familiar question, “Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?”

Thyme has been used medicinally since ancient times to treat respiratory problems, disinfect wounds, and aid digestion. The Egyptians used thyme during embalming to help slow the decomposition of bodies. Since the Middle Ages, placing thyme beneath one’s pillow was also believed to ward off nightmares.

The name thyme comes from the Greek word thymon, which is related to the verb thymiao, meaning “to fumigate,” a reference to thyme’s use as incense. Another related Greek word, thymos, means “courage” or “spirit,” qualities that thyme was believed to promote. Greek and Roman soldiers were said to bathe in thyme-infused water before battle, while during the Middle Ages, knights might receive sprigs of thyme or kerchiefs embroidered with images of thyme as symbols of valor.

In European folklore, patches of wild thyme were said to be gathering places where fairies danced or slept. Shakespeare alludes to this tradition in "A Midsummer Night’s Dream."

Shakespeare was right that a rose would smell as sweet by any other name. Hidden within that name, however, we can find the echoes of centuries of medicine, mythology, superstition, and tradition. A plant’s name may not change what it is—but it can change how we see and understand it. 

For more information:

Scientific Plant Names (Binomial Nomenclature)
The Meaning Behind Latin Names
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
Nutritional Geography Herbs and Spices

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