Cuminum
/ˈkjuː.mɪ.nəm/noun
A spice plant of the parsley family whose dried seeds are used as a seasoning.
Did you know?Cumin’s name passed from Greek and Latin into many languages so early that its trail is one of the classic examples of how a single spice can carry a civilization’s vocabulary with it.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*k̑u̯em-
“A proposed ancient root behind the word for cumin, though the exact prehistory is uncertain.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kyminon
“Cumin, the aromatic spice seed.”
Classical Latin
Latin
cuminum
“Cumin.”
Old French
Old French
comin
“Cumin.”
Middle English
English
cumin
“The spice cumin.”