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Fragrance

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a pleasant sweet smell

Where does the word "fragrance" come from? It comes from Latin fragrare, passing through French before entering English (1660s).

fragrare→fragrance→fragrance

Latin · ancient

"to smell sweet"

possibly related to 'flagrare', to blaze

French · 1500s

English 'fragrancy' appeared in the 1570s, nearly a century before 'fragrance' itself in the 1660s

English · 1660s

perfume makers use it for scents

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Fragrance’s story begins in Latin: fragrare meant “to smell sweet.” Possibly related to 'flagrare', to blaze. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in French as fragrance. English 'fragrancy' appeared in the 1570s, nearly a century before 'fragrance' itself in the 1660s. It reached English by 1660s as fragrance. Perfume makers use it for scents. Today, fragrance means a pleasant sweet smell.