Herbes
/ɜːrbz/noun
A plural form of herb, meaning plants used for food, medicine, seasoning, or ritual purposes.
Did you know?In medieval Europe, herbal knowledge was closely linked with charms and incantations, and the Old English word for herb, wyrt, is related to modern wort in names such as St. John’s wort.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰerbh-
“A proposed root associated with growing or sprouting; the deeper origin is uncertain.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
phorbḗ
“Fodder or food for animals; sometimes proposed as a distant cognate in the broader history of plant and nourishment terms.”
Classical Latin
Latin
herba
“Grass, green plants, herbage, or a useful plant.”
Old French
Old French
erbe / herbe
“Grass or a plant, especially one valued for food or medicine.”
Middle English
English
erbe / herbe
“A plant, especially one used medicinally, culinary, or in healing practice.”
Modern English
English
herbes
“The plural of herb, also preserved in culinary phrases such as herbes de Provence.”