Chelidony
/kəˈlɪdənɪ/noun
A name for celandine, especially the greater celandine plant, Chelidonium majus.
Did you know?The name comes from Greek for “swallow,” linking the plant to an ancient belief that swallows used its juice to treat their nestlings’ eyes.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
χελιδών (khelidōn)
“Swallow”
Ancient Greek
Greek
χελιδόνιον (khelidónion)
“Little swallow; the celandine plant, associated with the swallow’s arrival”
1st Century
Latin
chelidōnium
“Celandine; a Latinized botanical name borrowed from Greek”
12th–13th Century
Old French
celidoine
“Celandine”
14th Century
Middle English
celidoyne
“Celandine or chelidony”
Modern English
English
chelidony
“Celandine, particularly greater celandine”
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