Absinthium
/ˌæbˈsɪnθiəm/noun
A botanical or archaic name for wormwood, especially Artemisia absinthium.
Did you know?The Greek source of absinthium, ἀψίνθιον (apsínthion), has no securely known etymology, suggesting the plant’s name may be older than the Greek language that recorded it.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀψίνθιον (apsínthion)
“Wormwood; the origin of the Greek term is uncertain.”
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Latin
absinthium
“Wormwood; the Latin botanical and medicinal name for the plant.”
Old English period
Old English
wermōd
“Wormwood; the native Germanic English name, unrelated in form to Latin absinthium.”
Middle English
English
absinthe
“A borrowed name for wormwood, alongside native forms such as wormwood.”
16th–17th Century
New Latin
absinthium
“A standardized botanical form used in learned plant classification.”
Modern English
English
absinthium
“A rare botanical or archaic term for wormwood, also used in scientific nomenclature.”