cinnamon

Where does the word "cinnamon" come from? It comes from Phoenician qinnamon, passing through Greek and Latin before entering English (medieval).

Cinnamon’s story begins in Phoenician: qinnamon meant “cinnamon.” An ancient Levantine trade word of uncertain further origin. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Greek as kinnamomon. Herodotus repeated a legend that birds built nests from cinnamon sticks in Arabia. From there it passed into Latin as cinnamomum by ancient. Carried across Mediterranean spice routes. It reached English by medieval as cinnamon. Settled as the English name for the spice. Today, cinnamon means a sweet, aromatic spice made from the dried inner bark of a tree.

1. Stage 1 · Phoenician · ancient qinnamon "cinnamon", an ancient Levantine trade word of uncertain further origin.
2. Stage 2 · Greek · ancient kinnamomon "cinnamon", Herodotus repeated a legend that birds built nests from cinnamon sticks in Arabia.
3. Stage 3 · Latin · ancient cinnamomum "cinnamon", carried across Mediterranean spice routes.
4. Stage 4 · English · medieval cinnamon "the aromatic spice bark", settled as the English name for the spice.