magnolia

Where does the word "magnolia" come from? It comes from French Pierre Magnol, and was adopted directly into English (1730s).

Magnolia’s story begins in French: Pierre Magnol meant “a botanist's name.” A French botanist honored in the name of the flowering tree. It reached English by 1730s as magnolia. Charles Plumier named it in 1703 after Pierre Magnol, director of Montpellier's botanical garden. Today, magnolia means a tree or shrub with large, fragrant, showy flowers.

1. Stage 1 · French · 1600s Pierre Magnol "a botanist's name", a French botanist honored in the name of the flowering tree.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1730s magnolia "a flowering tree with large, fragrant blooms", Charles Plumier named it in 1703 after Pierre Magnol, director of Montpellier's botanical garden.