Coriander
/ˌkɔːriˈændər/noun
A plant whose seeds and leaves are used as a herb and spice.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Greek koríannon/koríandron, and the plant’s sharp scent was so distinctive that ancient writers treated it almost like a sensory marker in medicine and cooking.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*k̑or-i-
“Possibly the source of a word for bedbug or insect-like smell, though the exact prehistory is uncertain.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κορίαννον (koríannon) / κορίανδρον (koríandron)
“Coriander, the aromatic herb and its seed.”
Classical Latin
Latin
coriandrum
“Coriander.”
Old French
Old French
coriandre
“Coriander.”
Middle English
English
coriandre
“Coriander.”
Modern English
English
coriander
“The herb and spice derived from the plant Coriandrum sativum.”
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