Dahlia
/ˈdeɪ.li.ə/noun
A genus of tuberous flowering plants grown for their showy, often brightly colored blooms.
Did you know?The dahlia was named in the late 18th century for Swedish botanist Anders Dahl, whose surname ultimately comes from a Germanic word meaning “valley,” so even its modern name carries a landscape buried inside it.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*dalą
“a valley”
Old English
OE
dæl
“a valley, dale”
Old Norse
ON
dalr
“a valley”
Modern Swedish
Swedish
dal
“a valley”
Late 18th Century
Latin/Scientific
Dahlia
“a plant genus named for Anders Dahl”
Modern English
English
dahlia
“a cultivated flowering plant of the genus Dahlia”