Myrtus
/ˈmɪər.təs/noun
A genus of aromatic evergreen shrubs and trees in the myrtle family.
Did you know?In the Greco-Roman world, myrtle was strongly associated with Aphrodite/Venus and was used in wedding and funerary rites, giving the word a long shadow of beauty, death, and devotion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sm̥rt- / *myrt-
“Likely a pre-Greek or Mediterranean plant-name base of uncertain origin”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μυρρίνη / μύρτος
“Myrtle, the fragrant evergreen shrub”
Classical Latin
Latin
myrtus
“Myrtle; the myrtle plant”
Old French
Old French
myrte
“Myrtle”
Middle English
English
mirte / myrte
“The myrtle plant”
Modern English
English
myrtle
“An aromatic evergreen shrub or tree of the genus Myrtus”