Newtonia
/njuːˈtəʊniə/noun
A taxonomic genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, native mainly to tropical Africa and Madagascar.
Did you know?The name Newtonia was created as a commemorative botanical name, showing how scientific nomenclature can preserve a person’s identity for centuries through a living genus.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*néwos
“New or fresh; the ancient root behind English new.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*niwjō
“New or newly made.”
Old English
Old English
nīwe tūn
“New settlement or new enclosure.”
Middle English
Middle English
newetoun
“A newly established town; later used as a place-name.”
Modern English
English
Newton
“A surname and place-name meaning “new town.””
19th Century
Scientific Latin
Newtonia
“A botanical genus name formed by Latinizing Newton with the suffix -ia, meaning associated with or belonging to Newton.”