Heather
/ˈhɛð.ər/noun
A low evergreen shrub with small purple, pink, or white flowers, common on moors and heaths.
Did you know?Heather comes from the same ancient root as heath, and in old landscapes these plants became symbols of wild, uncultivated ground rather than any mystical spell.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*haiþi-
“heath, uncultivated land”
Old English
OE
hæþ
“heath, open uncultivated land”
Old English
OE
hæþer
“heather, the plant growing on the heath”
Middle English
ME
heder
“heather”
Modern English
English
heather
“a shrub of the heath family, especially one with small bell-shaped flowers”