Friday, 3 January 2025

The Persian roots of the word 'spinach'

'Spinach' is a word borrowed from Persian 'aspānāḵ'. The word entered the English language some time around the 15th century.


spinach [noun] [15th century]
  • an Asian herb (Spinacia oleracea) of the goosefoot family cultivated for its edible leaves which form in a dense basa...
  • its leaves
  • something unwanted, pretentious, or spurious
  • an untidy overgrowth
See 'spinach' on the Loan Words Map

See more loan words from Persian.

Etymology: Middle English 'spinache' from Anglo-French, alteration of Old French 'espinaces' from Medieval Latin 'spinachium' ultimately from Arabic 'isfānākh' from Persian
See more loan words from 1400s.


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