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Where does the word "petal" come from? It comes from Greek petalon, and was adopted directly into English (1720s).
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Where does the word "petal" come from? It comes from Greek petalon, and was adopted directly into English (1720s).
Petal’s story begins in Greek: petalon meant “leaf.” Greek, from 'petalos', spread out. It reached English by 1720s as petal. Coined in botanical Latin as 'petalum'. Today, petal means a coloured part of a flower.
- Stage 1 · Greek · ancient petalon "leaf", Greek, from 'petalos', spread out.
- Stage 2 · English · 1720s petal "flower leaf", coined in botanical Latin as 'petalum'.