Sypress
/ˈsaɪ.prəs/noun
An obsolete or variant English form of “cypress,” the evergreen conifer or its wood.
Did you know?Cypress was associated with mourning in the ancient Mediterranean because its evergreen foliage suggested enduring remembrance, while its wood was used in funerary contexts.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
κυπάρισσος (kyparissos)
“Cypress tree; the ultimate origin is uncertain and may be non-Indo-European.”
Classical Latin
Latin
cyparissus
“Cypress tree, borrowed from Greek.”
Old French
Old French
cipres
“Cypress; the tree or its wood.”
Middle English
English
cipres / sypress
“Cypress, including the evergreen tree and its wood; spelling varied considerably.”
Early Modern English
English
cypress
“The established modern spelling for the tree, also used symbolically for mourning.”
Modern English
English
sypress
“An obsolete or historical spelling preserved mainly in older texts and dictionaries.”
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