Solanaceae
/ˌsoʊləˈneɪsi.iː/noun
A family of flowering plants that includes nightshades such as tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplants, and tobacco.
Did you know?The family name Solanaceae comes from the genus Solanum, which is traditionally linked to the Latin word for nightshade and may be connected to the idea of soothing or easing pain, making these plants famous in both medicine and poison lore.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
Solanum
“Nightshade, especially the plant genus name later used in botany.”
18th Century
New Latin
Solanaceae
“A botanical family name formed from Solanum with the family suffix -aceae.”
Modern English
English
Solanaceae
“The nightshade family of flowering plants.”
Classical Latin
Latin
solāri
“To comfort, soothe, or relieve.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*swel-
“To make calm or comfort; the ancestral root behind Latin words for soothing and solace.”