Saturday, 29 August 2026

How the Latin language influenced English with the word 'lily'

'Lily' is a word borrowed from Latin 'lilium'. The word entered the English language some time before the 12th century.


lily [noun] [before 12th century]
  • any of a genus ( of the family Liliaceae, the lily family) of erect perennial leafy-stemmed bulbous herbs that are nati...
  • any of various plants of the lily family or of the related amaryllis or iris families
  • any of various plants with showy flowers
  • as
  • a scarlet anemone (Anemone coronaria) of the Mediterranean region
See 'lily' on the Loan Words Map

See more loan words from Latin.

Etymology: Middle English 'lilie' from Old English, from Latin 'lilium'
See more loan words from before 1200.


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