Phaseolus
/fəˈsiːələs/noun
A genus of flowering plants in the legume family that includes common beans and related species.
Did you know?The ancient Greek word phasēlos referred to a bean, while Pythagoreans famously treated beans as spiritually dangerous or taboo—though that belief is not the origin of the botanical name.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
φάσηλος (phasēlos)
“A bean, especially a type of elongated bean or legume”
Hellenistic Greek
Greek
φασήολος (phasēolos)
“A diminutive or variant form referring to a bean”
Classical Latin
Latin
phaseolus
“A bean or small bean”
16th Century
Neo-Latin
Phaseolus
“A botanical genus name based on the classical Latin bean term”
Modern English
English
Phaseolus
“The recognized genus containing common beans and related legumes”