Cedar
/ˈsiː.dər/noun
A coniferous tree or its aromatic wood, prized for durability and scent.
Did you know?The word ultimately traces back to a Semitic term for a conifer, and cedar wood was so valued in the ancient Near East that it became a symbol of permanence, sanctity, and royal building materials.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
PS
*qidru- / *qadru-
“a cedar or coniferous tree (reconstructed ancestral form)”
Ancient Hebrew
Hebrew
קֶדֶר (qédeḏ / qedár)
“cedar tree”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κέδρος (kedros)
“cedar; also used for other aromatic trees”
Latin
Latin
cedrus
“cedar tree”
Old French
OF
cedre
“cedar tree”
Middle English
ME
ceder / cedar
“cedar tree”
Modern English
English
cedar
“a cedar tree or its wood”