Etymologically
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dahlia

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 14 October 2026 at 23:47. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈdeɪ.li.ə/, /ˈdɑː.li.ə/ (UK); /ˈdæl.jə/, /ˈdɑl.jə/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from New Latin Dahlia, the genus name,[2][3][4][5] given in 1791 in honour of Anders Dahl, a Swedish botanist and pupil of Linnaeus.[3][6][5] Etymonline says the name was given by the Spanish botanist Antonio José Cavanilles.[6] The sources differ on Dahl's death, which the AHD dates to 1787 and the others to 1789.[2][6][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A genus of plants native to Mexico, cultivated in gardens (1804).[7][3][6]

Semantic evolution

The idea that a true blue dahlia could never be bred led to blue dahlia as a figure for something impossible or unattainable,[6][7] dated 1843 in Etymonline and 1880 in the OED.[6][7] The word was also used for a shade of red (1846)[7] and, in Random House, for a pale violet color.[5] Merriam-Webster dates the plant sense only from 1835.[4]

Timeline

  • 1791 – the New Latin genus name.[3][6][5]
  • 1804 – the plant in English.[7][3][6]
  • 1843 – blue dahlia, something unattainable (Etymonline).[6]
  • 1846 – a shade of red.[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. Any of a genus of plants native to Mexico and Central America, with tuberous roots and showy flower heads in many colors.
  2. The flower head of such a plant.
  3. A pale violet or amethyst color.
  • chrysanthemum
  • aster

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c d e Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press