Etymologically
Log in

lavanda

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the Italian word lavanda

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1311 before 1311, Anonimo Genovese More words from the 14th century
Borrowed from
Latin lavanda
Ultimate origin
Latin lavō

Forms

lavanda f (plural lavande)[1]

Etymology

It is learned: it is borrowed from Latin lavanda (“things to be washed”), the neuter plural of lavandus, the gerundive of lavō (“to wash”).[2][3][4][1] Old Bolognese had lavagna, influenced by bagno.[5] The TLIO asks whether it might rather be formed from lavare.[6]

The name of the plant, “lavender”, is the same word: DELI explains it by the original use of the flowers to scent water for washing, and Somavera in 1709 still glosses the word as “water for washing the hands”.[2][4][7] Nocentini calls it an extension of the first sense, and Treccani gives the link as probable only.[3][8] Nocentini and Wiktionary take French lavande and Spanish lavanda from Italian, but the French word is recorded, as lavende, as early as the end of the 13th century.[3][1][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in the Anonimo Genovese before 1311, for the liquid in which one washes, or medical washing itself.[6] DELI's first date for the act of washing is before 1543, in Firenzuola, with a medical sense of lavage before 1460 in Savonarola.[2]

Semantic evolution

The plant is first named in Mattioli's Dioscorides in 1544, who adds that in Tuscany it is called spigo; the scent made from its essence is recorded before 1768 in Frugoni.[2][9][7] Tommaseo records the washing of the feet, the custom of washing guests' feet that became the Maundy Thursday rite after the example of Jesus at the Last Supper.[10] In medicine lavanda gastrica, the washing out of the stomach through a tube, is recorded in 1930.[2] On ships the word names the crew's washing and the fresh water carried for it.[4][8]

The plant name passed from Italian to lavanda, lavanda, lavandă and Ottoman Turkish, whence lavanta.[1]

Timeline

  • Before 1311 – The Anonimo Genovese uses lavanda.[6]
  • Before 1460 – Savonarola uses lavanda for a medical washing.[2]
  • Before 1543 – Firenzuola uses lavanda for the act of washing.[2]
  • 1544 – Mattioli's Dioscorides names the plant lavanda.[2][9]
  • 1709 – Somavera glosses lavanda as water for washing the hands.[2]
  • Before 1768 – Frugoni uses lavanda for the scent.[2]
  • 1930 – Lavanda gastrica is recorded.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (uncommon) A washing or ablution: la lavanda dei piedi.[4][11][8]
  2. (liturgy) The washing of the celebrant's hands at Mass.[4][11][12]
  3. (medicine) lavage: the washing out of an internal cavity, or the solution used for it: lavanda gastrica.[4][13][12]
  4. (nautical) The crew's washing of themselves and their linen, and the fresh water carried for it.[4][11][8]
  5. lavender: a shrub of the mint family with grey leaves and very fragrant violet flowers in spikes, especially Lavandula angustifolia.[4][13][8]
  6. (botany, capitalised) The genus Lavandula.[11][8]
  7. Lavender water or scent, made from the essence of the flowers: un sapone alla lavanda.[4][11][8]

Word family

  • lavandaio
  • lavandaia
  • lavanderia
  • lavandino
  • lavandeto

Usage notes

Some dictionaries, among them DELI and GRADIT, list the plant as a second lavanda.[2][4] Lavanda dei piedi is the Maundy Thursday rite in which the priest washes the feet of twelve people.[14][15] The plant is also called spigo.[2][13]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
  3. ^ a b c Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  5. ^ Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 2186
  6. ^ a b c Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
  7. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
  9. ^ a b c Stammerjohann, Harro, et al. (2008), Dizionario di italianismi in francese, inglese, tedesco, Firenze: Accademia della Crusca; online at difit.italianisticaonline.it
  10. ^ Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
  11. ^ a b c d e Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
  12. ^ a b Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
  13. ^ a b c Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
  14. ^ Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
  15. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Lavanda.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/it/lavanda. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·