Allium
/ˈæl.i.əm/noun
A genus of plants that includes onions, garlic, leeks, and chives.
Did you know?Latin allium appears to be an old inherited plant name of uncertain origin, and it gave us the scientific genus for the entire onion family.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
allium
“garlic; by extension, onion-like plants”
Late Latin
Latin
Allium
“used as a plant name in learned and botanical contexts”
16th–18th Century
New Latin
Allium
“the botanical genus name for onions and their relatives”
Modern English
English
allium
“any plant in the onion family, especially in horticulture and botany”