Salix
/ˈseɪ.lɪks/noun
A willow tree or shrub.
Did you know?Latin salix was the classical word for willow, and it likely comes from an older Indo-European plant-name root, showing how one humble tree kept its name alive across millennia.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*s(e)lh₂- / *sal-
“An ancient plant-name root probably connected to willow or a similar tree.”
Latin
Latin
salix
“Willow tree or willow twig.”
Late Latin
Latin
salicārius
“Of or relating to willow.”
Old French
Old French
saule
“Willow.”
Middle English
English
sallow
“Willow tree; later also applied to a kind of pale willow.”
Modern English
English
sallow
“A willow tree or shrub, especially one with broad leaves.”
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