vetiver

Where does the word "vetiver" come from? It comes from Tamil vettiver, passing through French before entering English (1858).

Vetiver’s story begins in Tamil: vettiver meant “the fragrant grass root.” Compound of 'dig up' and 'root'. By 1858, the word had taken hold in French as vétiver. French colonial botanists in the Indian Ocean adopted the Tamil name. It reached English by 1858 as vetiver. Tamil 'dug-up root'; its oil is a base note in many perfumes. Today, vetiver means a fragrant tropical grass whose roots yield an essential oil widely used in perfumery.

1. Stage 1 · Tamil · medieval vettiver "the fragrant grass root", compound of 'dig up' and 'root'.
2. Stage 2 · French · 1858 vétiver "the aromatic grass and its root", French colonial botanists in the Indian Ocean adopted the Tamil name.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1858 vetiver "a fragrant grass whose roots yield an oil used in perfumery", Tamil 'dug-up root'; its oil is a base note in many perfumes.