Nightwort
/ˈnaɪt.wɜːrt/noun
An old name for a nightshade or other plant associated with darkness.
Did you know?The element “wort” once meant simply “plant” or “herb,” surviving in names such as St. John’s-wort and mugwort.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*nókʷts
“Night; the period of darkness”
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*nahts
“Night, darkness”
Old English
Old English
niht
“Night”
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*wurtiz
“Plant, root, or herb”
Old English
Old English
wyrt
“Plant or medicinal herb”
Early Modern English
English
night-wort
“A plant associated with night, especially a nightshade”
Modern English
English
nightwort
“An archaic or dialectal name for a nightshade or dark-associated plant”
Explore more surprising origins