Apsinthion
/ˌæpˈsɪnθiən/noun
A Greek name for wormwood, especially the plant later associated with absinthe.
Did you know?Apsinthion is the Greek source behind “absinthe,” whose bitter wormwood extract became associated with visionary intoxication and the notorious “green fairy.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀψίνθιον (apsínthion)
“Wormwood; a bitter aromatic plant used medicinally and ritually”
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Greek
apsinthion
“Wormwood, including species of Artemisia used in pharmacological writings”
Late Antiquity
Latin
absinthium
“Wormwood; a Latin borrowing of the Greek plant name”
Middle English
English
absinthe / absinth
“Wormwood or a preparation made from it”
19th Century
French/English
absinthe
“A strong alcoholic drink flavored chiefly with wormwood”
Modern English
English
apsinthion
“A learned or historical term referring to Greek wormwood”
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