capsicum

Where does the word "capsicum" come from? It comes from Latin capsa, passing through Modern Latin before entering English (1660s).

Capsicum’s story begins in Latin: capsa meant “box, case.” A box or case, perhaps the root of the pod's name. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Modern Latin as Capsicum. Coined by botanists in the 1500s for the New World peppers brought to Europe by Spanish explorers. It reached English by 1660s as capsicum. Used for chilli peppers and sweet peppers alike, especially in British and Australian English. Today, capsicum means a plant of the pepper family, or its fruit.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient capsa "box, case", a box or case, perhaps the root of the pod's name.
2. Stage 2 · Modern Latin · 1500s Capsicum "pepper genus", coined by botanists in the 1500s for the New World peppers brought to Europe by Spanish explorers.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1660s capsicum "pepper", used for chilli peppers and sweet peppers alike, especially in British and Australian English.