botany

Where does the word "botany" come from? It comes from Greek botanē, passing through French before entering English (1690s).

Botany’s story begins in Greek: botanē meant “pasture, plant.” Greek, from 'boskein', to feed. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in French as botanique. French and scientific Latin adopted it as Europe's first botanical gardens, like Padua's in 1545, turned plant study into a formal discipline. It reached English by 1690s as botany. Botany Bay in Australia was named by Joseph Banks in 1770. Today, botany means the scientific study of plants.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient botanē "pasture, plant", Greek, from 'boskein', to feed.
2. Stage 2 · French · 1600s botanique "botanical", French and scientific Latin adopted it as Europe's first botanical gardens, like Padua's in 1545, turned plant study into a formal discipline.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1690s botany "study of plants", Botany Bay in Australia was named by Joseph Banks in 1770.