Cummin
/ˈkʌmɪn/noun
A pungent spice made from the dried seeds of a small Mediterranean plant.
Did you know?Cummin’s name ultimately comes from an ancient Near Eastern word that passed through Greek and Latin, showing how trade routes moved not just goods but the names of sacred and everyday plants.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Near East
Semitic
kammun
“A spice plant and its seeds”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kámmon / kámminon
“Cumin seed or the cumin plant”
Classical Latin
Latin
cuminum
“Cumin”
Old French
Old French
comin
“Cumin”
Middle English
English
cummin
“Cumin; the spice seed”