Coriandrum
/ˌkɔːriˈændrəm/noun
A genus of plants in the parsley family, including coriander.
Did you know?The name ultimately comes from Greek *koríannon / koriandron*, and ancient writers already used it for the pungent herb we now call coriander, whose scent was so distinctive that it inspired multiple folk associations across the Mediterranean.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱor-
“A proposed ancient root often linked by scholars to bedbugs or pungent insects, though the exact prehistory is uncertain.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κορίαννον / koriannon
“Coriander, the aromatic herb.”
Late Greek
Greek
κορίανδρον / koriandron
“A variant form of the herb's name, later influential in learned botanical usage.”
Latin
Latin
coriandrum
“Coriander; the herb and its seed.”
Modern English
English
coriander
“The herb Coriandrum sativum, especially its leaves or seeds.”