Fraxinus Ornus
/frəˈksɪnəs ˈɔːrnəs/noun
The botanical name for the flowering ash, a deciduous tree native to southern Europe and parts of western Asia.
Did you know?Flowering ash produces a sweet sap historically known as manna, which has been collected and used medicinally in parts of the Mediterranean.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European, proposed
PIE
*bherǝg-
“To break or fracture; this root has been proposed as a possible source for the Latin name of ash, perhaps referring to its brittle wood.”
Ancient Latin
Latin
fraxinus
“Ash tree; the name for the ash genus.”
Classical Latin
Latin
ornus
“Flowering ash or manna ash.”
Ancient Greek, possible source of ornus
Greek
ὄρνος (ornos)
“A term associated with a type of ash tree; the precise relationship to Latin ornus is not completely certain.”
18th Century
Botanical Latin
Fraxinus ornus
“The formal binomial name assigned to the flowering ash.”
Modern English
English
flowering ash
“The common name for Fraxinus ornus, valued for its white spring blossoms and sweet sap.”