Wortcunning
/ˈwɜːrtˌkʌnɪŋ/noun
The traditional knowledge and practice of identifying and using medicinal herbs.
Did you know?The first element, wort, once meant almost any plant or root—not merely the modern fermented drink associated with brewing.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wr̥tós
“Root or plant; the ancestral source of the word wort.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*wurtiz
“Root or useful plant.”
Old English
Old English
wyrt
“Plant, herb, root, or medicinal vegetation.”
Old English
Old English
cunnung
“Knowledge, learning, or skill, from the verb cunnan, “to know” or “be able.””
Middle English
Middle English
wort
“Herb or plant; later also used in brewing terminology.”
Modern English
English
wortcunning
“Herbal knowledge, especially the traditional or magical lore surrounding medicinal plants.”