Delphinium
/dɛlˈfɪniəm/noun
A flowering plant in the buttercup family with tall spikes of blue, purple, or white blossoms.
Did you know?Delphinium was named by the ancient Greek botanist Dioscorides because the unopened flower was thought to resemble a dolphin’s nose, from the same Greek root as Delphos, the old name tied to Delphi.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
delphinion / delphinion
“A plant name applied to the larkspur-like flower, likely from its dolphin-shaped bud”
Latin
Latin
delphinium
“A borrowed botanical name for the same flowering plant”
Late Medieval Latin
Latin
delphinium
“Used in learned herbals and botanical writing”
16th Century
English
delphinium
“A cultivated ornamental flower, especially larkspur”
Modern English
English
delphinium
“A tall ornamental flowering plant with showy spikes of blossoms”