Kumin
/ˈkʌmɪn/noun
An obsolete or dialectal English spelling of cumin, the aromatic seed of a flowering plant used as a spice.
Did you know?Cumin seeds have been recovered from ancient Egyptian sites, showing that this intensely fragrant spice was valued thousands of years before its name entered English.
Etymological Timeline
2nd millennium BCE
Semitic
kamūnu
“Cumin; an ancient Semitic name for the aromatic spice.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kyminon
“Cumin; Greek adopted the spice name from an eastern Mediterranean or Semitic source.”
Classical Latin
Latin
cuminum
“Cumin; the Latin term for the spice.”
Old English
Old English
cymen
“Cumin; an early English form inherited through Latin transmission.”
Middle English
English
kumin
“Cumin; a medieval spelling variant of the spice name.”
Modern English
English
cumin
“The dried aromatic seed commonly used as a seasoning.”