Etymology Map
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Herb

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a plant used for flavour or medicine

Where does the word "herb" come from? It comes from Latin herba, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
herba
Latin · ancient
"grass, plant"
used for any green plant
2
Stage 2 of 3
erbe
Old French · medieval
"herb"
spoken French dropped the Latin h, and English spelling followed for a time
3
Stage 3 of 3
herb
English · 1200s
"a plant"
the h stayed silent until British English restored it in the 1800s; American English still drops it
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Read the full story

Herb’s story begins in Latin: herba meant “grass, plant.” Used for any green plant. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as erbe. Spoken French dropped the Latin h, and English spelling followed for a time. It reached English by 1200s as herb. The h stayed silent until British English restored it in the 1800s; American English still drops it. Today, herb means a plant used for flavour or medicine.