Saccharum
/ˈsækə.rəm/noun
A Latin word for sugar; also the scientific genus name for sugarcane.
Did you know?Latin saccharum ultimately came from Greek sákkharon, which was borrowed from an older South Asian source, showing how the “sweetness” of sugar traveled across trade routes long before modern alchemy and confectionery.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient South Asia
Old Indo-Aryan
śarkarā
“A granule, pebble, or sugar crystal-like lump”
Ancient Greek
Greek
sákkharon
“Sugar or sweet crystalline substance imported from the East”
Classical Latin
Latin
saccharum
“Sugar”
Old French
Old French
sucre
“Sugar”
Middle English
English
sugre
“Sugar”
Explore more surprising origins