Etymologically
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herba

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈhɛr.ba][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈɛr.ba][1]

Forms

herba f (genitive herbae); first declension[1]

Etymology

The origin is unknown according to de Vaan: the reconstruction ⟨*gʰer-dʰ-⟩ of Walde, Hofmann and Pokorny, from the root of grāmen (“grass”), is impossible if that root is ⟨*ǵʰrh₁-⟩, and there is no good alternative.[2] The OLD still suggests ⟨*gher-dhā⟩, comparing Old English græd (“grass”);[3] Köbler and Wiktionary compare Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- (“to grow, become green”).[4][1] L&S compared Ancient Greek φορβή (phorbḗ, “fodder”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus,[2] who has quasi sōlstitiālis herba paullisper fuī, “like a midsummer plant, I lasted only a little while”.[3]

Semantic evolution

Herba is a small plant, a herb, including grass, and the grass of a field (Cicero: in herbā recubuisset, “he lay down on the grass”).[3][5][1] It names particular plants, as herba Sabīna in Cato, and it is young corn in the blade: in herbā, “in the blade”.[3][1] Wiktionary also gives “weeds”.[1]

Church Latin glosses it “grass, blade of grass, herb, plant, blade of corn”.[6] In Medieval Latin it is especially a poisonous or magic herb.[7] English herb (c. 1300) comes from it through Old French.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: quasi sōlstitiālis herba.[3][4]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato: herbae Sabīnae.[3][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero: in herbā recubuisset.[3][4]
  • c. 1300 – English herb, through Old French.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A small plant, herb; grass.[3][5][1][6]
  2. Grassy ground, the grass.[3]
  3. (in plant names) herba Sabīna, herba sōlāris etc.[3]
  4. Young corn in the blade.[3][6]
  5. Weeds.[1]
  6. (Medieval Latin) A poisonous or magic herb.[7]

Word family

  • herbāceus
  • herbārius
  • herbāticus
  • herbeus
  • herbifer
  • herbigradus
  • herbilis
  • herbipotēns
  • herbitum
  • herbō
  • herbōsus
  • herbula
  • grāmen
  • English herb

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com