Petunias
/pəˈtjuːniəz/noun
Petunias are flowering plants of the genus Petunia, commonly grown as ornamental garden flowers.
Did you know?The genus name Petunia was formed from French pétun, borrowed from Tupi petyma or petỹma, a word associated with tobacco plants.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Colonial Era
Tupi
petyma / petỹma
“Tobacco; an Indigenous Tupi term for the plant”
16th Century
Portuguese
petum
“Tobacco, borrowed from a Tupi language”
17th Century
French
pétun
“Tobacco”
1803
Latin botanical nomenclature
Petunia
“A plant genus named from French pétun because of its resemblance to tobacco”
19th Century
English
petunia
“An ornamental flowering plant of the genus Petunia”
Modern English
English
petunias
“Plural of petunia; flowering garden plants”