Etymology Map
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Odor

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a distinctive smell

Where does the word "odor" come from? It comes from Latin odor, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
odor
Latin · ancient
"smell"
related to Greek 'ozein', to smell, the root of 'ozone'
2
Stage 2 of 3
odour
Old French · medieval
"smell"
'odour of sanctity' was said of saints whose bodies supposedly smelled sweet
3
Stage 3 of 3
odor
English · 1300s
"smell"
'deodorant' dates from the 1800s
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Read the full story

Odor’s story begins in Latin: odor meant “smell.” Related to Greek 'ozein', to smell, the root of 'ozone'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as odour. 'odour of sanctity' was said of saints whose bodies supposedly smelled sweet. It reached English by 1300s as odor. 'deodorant' dates from the 1800s. Today, odor means a distinctive smell.