Hyacinthus
/ˌhaɪ.əˈsɪn.θəs/noun
A genus of bulbous flowering plants, or the blue-purple flower commonly called a hyacinth.
Did you know?In Greek myth, Hyacinthus was a beloved youth whose death inspired Apollo’s grief, and the flower’s name became a memorial of transformation through loss.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek myth
Greek
Hyakinthos (Ὑάκινθος)
“A beautiful Spartan youth associated with Apollo and later a flower in myth”
Ancient Greek
Greek
hyakinthos (ὑάκινθος)
“A flower, likely the hyacinth or a similarly colored bloom”
Latin
Latin
hyacinthus
“Hyacinth; the flower name borrowed from Greek”
Old French
Old French
jacinthe
“Hyacinth; the flower”
Middle English
English
gyaunt / iacint / hyacinte
“The hyacinth flower, borrowed through French and Latin”
Modern English
English
hyacinth
“A spring-flowering bulbous plant with clustered fragrant blossoms”