Nuphar
/ˈnjuːfɑːr/noun
A genus of aquatic flowering plants in the water-lily family, including yellow water-lilies.
Did you know?Nuphar was borrowed into New Latin through medieval Arabic and Persian botanical tradition, showing how plant names could travel across empires long before modern science standardized them.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Persian
Persian
nilufar
“Water lily; lotus-like aquatic flower”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
nūfar
“Water lily”
Late Medieval / Early Modern
Latin
nuphar
“A water-lily name used in learned botanical writing”
18th Century
New Latin
Nuphar
“Established as a botanical genus name for yellow water-lilies”
Modern English
English
nuphar
“A genus of water lilies”