Etymologically
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papaver

Etymology and origin of the Latin word papaver

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Confidence
Unknown
First attested
Plautus

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [paˈpaː.wɛr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [paˈpaː.ver][1]

Forms

papāver n or m (genitive papāveris); third declension[1]

Etymology

The origin is unknown.[2][1] Manaster Ramer sees a reduplication of Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥ (“fire”), and others have linked it with pāscō “to feed” or with an imitative root *pap “to swell”.[1][3][4] Plautus, Cato and Varro treat it as masculine.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of poppy seed.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant the poppy, including the opium poppy, and in Plautus poppy seed.[2] Virgil has Lēthaeō perfūsa papāvera somnō “poppies steeped in the sleep of Lethe”, which Isidore quotes, calling it a sleep-bringing herb.[6] Gaffiot notes Tertullian's use for the seeds of a fig.[7]

British Medieval Latin used it of the poppy and its products and properties.[8] Probably through a Vulgar Latin *papavum it gave West Germanic *papua- and Old English popig, English poppy.[4] Spanish amapola and Portuguese papoula were also borrowed from it.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of poppy seed.[2][5]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it as a masculine.[2][5]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil writes of poppies steeped in sleep.[6][5]
  • late Old English – English poppy is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A poppy.[2]
  2. Poppy seed.[2]

Word family

  • papāverātus
  • papāverculum
  • papāvereus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
  7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
Cite this entry

“Papaver.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/papaver. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·