Pepper
/ˈpɛp.ər/noun
A pungent spice made from the dried berries of the pepper plant, or the plant itself.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Sanskrit and moved through Greek and Latin into English, following the ancient spice routes that made pepper one of the most valuable substances on Earth.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peperi-
“The reconstructed source for the word’s ancient spice name, likely referring to pepper or a related pungent plant.”
Sanskrit
Sanskrit
pippalī
“A long pepper plant, used as a pungent spice.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
péperi
“Pepper; the spice imported from the East.”
Latin
Latin
piper
“Pepper.”
Old English
Old English
pipor
“Pepper.”
Middle English
English
peper
“Pepper.”
Modern English
English
pepper
“The familiar pungent spice and the plant that produces it.”
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