Olive Branch
/ˈɒl.ɪv brɑːntʃ/noun
A branch of an olive tree, traditionally used as a symbol of peace, reconciliation, or surrender.
Did you know?In ancient Greece, olive wreaths honored victors, while the Bible’s dove returning with an olive leaf helped cement the branch’s association with peace and reconciliation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic and Ancient Mediterranean
Mediterranean languages
forms related to olive
“Early olive-tree and olive-oil vocabulary circulated among cultures where the tree was cultivated and traded.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἐλαία (elaía)
“Olive tree; the source of the Greek term that influenced later Mediterranean words for olive.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κλάδος ἐλαίας (kládos elaías)
“Olive-tree branch; branches were associated with ritual, victory, supplication, and peace.”
Classical Latin
Latin
oliva; ramus olivae
“Olive; branch of the olive tree. Latin oliva came through Greek and related Mediterranean borrowing.”
12th–14th Century
Old French
branche d'olivier
“Branch of an olive tree; French branche ultimately comes from Late Latin branca, meaning a paw or branchlike limb.”
14th Century
English
olive branch
“A branch of an olive tree, increasingly used figuratively as an offer of peace or reconciliation.”
Modern English
English
olive branch
“A conventional symbol or gesture of peace, compromise, or an attempt to end hostility.”