Manna Ash
/ˈmæn.ə æʃ/noun
A flowering ash tree, Fraxinus ornus, native to southern Europe and western Asia, whose sap can be collected as a sweet substance called manna.
Did you know?The name connects the tree’s sap with manna, the mysterious food described in Exodus as appearing for the Israelites in the wilderness, although botanists do not identify the two with certainty.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
מָן (mān)
“The mysterious food or substance described as appearing in the wilderness; its exact meaning is uncertain.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μάννα (manna)
“The biblical manna, borrowed from Hebrew.”
Classical Latin
Latin
manna
“Manna; later, a sweet exudation or medicinal substance from certain plants.”
Proto-Germanic
Germanic
*askōn
“Ash tree; the source of the English tree-name ash.”
Old English
Old English
æsc
“Ash tree, especially the common ash.”
Modern English
English
manna ash
“A name for Fraxinus ornus, whose sap was historically collected as manna.”