Wistaria
/wɪˈstɛər.i.ə/noun
A woody climbing plant with hanging clusters of fragrant purple, blue, or white flowers.
Did you know?Wistaria was an older spelling of wisteria, named in honor of the American anatomist Caspar Wistar, and the modern spelling was later regularized to align with his name.
Etymological Timeline
1818
English
wistaria
“A botanical name coined for the vine, originally spelled in honor of Wistar.”
19th Century
English
wisteria
“A later spelling of the same plant name, gradually becoming standard.”
Latinized surname
English
Wistar
“The family name of Caspar Wistar, the person commemorated by the plant name.”
Old English
English
witan
“To know; the ancestral root behind modern words for knowledge and awareness.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weid-
“To see, know; the ancient root behind words for vision and knowledge.”