cilantro

Where does the word "cilantro" come from? It comes from Greek koriannon, passing through Latin and Spanish before entering English (1920s).

Cilantro’s story begins in Greek: koriannon meant “coriander.” Coriander. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Latin as coriandrum. Coriander. From there it passed into Spanish as cilantro by medieval. Sounds shifted from 'coriandro' to 'culantro' and 'cilantro'. It reached English by 1920s as cilantro. Americans use 'cilantro' for the leaves, while British English calls both leaves and seeds 'coriander'. Today, cilantro means the leaves of the coriander plant used as a herb.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient koriannon "coriander", coriander.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient coriandrum "coriander", coriander.
3. Stage 3 · Spanish · medieval cilantro "coriander", sounds shifted from 'coriandro' to 'culantro' and 'cilantro'.
4. Stage 4 · American English · 1920s cilantro "coriander leaves", Americans use 'cilantro' for the leaves, while British English calls both leaves and seeds 'coriander'.