Milkwort
/ˈmɪlk.wɜːrt/noun
A plant of the genus Polygala, often with small flowers and a long history in herbal tradition.
Did you know?The name comes from the old belief that certain milkworts increased milk production in nursing women, showing how plant names often preserved practical magic and folk medicine in plain sight.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
meolucwyrt
“milk herb; a plant believed to aid milk production”
Middle English
ME
milkwort
“a medicinal herb associated with milk or milk flow”
16th Century
English
milke-wort / milkwort
“a herb used in traditional medicine and named for its supposed effect on milk”
Modern English
English
milkwort
“any of several flowering plants, especially in the genus Polygala”