Etymograph

English

clematis

Clematis comes from Latin clēmatis ‘the name of various climbing plants’, from Ancient Greek κληματίς ‘vine branch’, and ultimately from κλῆμα.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκλῆμαklêma‘vine, branch with vines’
  2. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκληματίςklēmatís‘vine branch’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEclēmatis‘the name of various climbing plants’
  4. mulmodernClematis
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1863clematis

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκλῆμαklêma‘vine, branch with vines’
  2. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκληματίςklēmatís‘vine branch’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEclēmatis‘the name of various climbing plants’
  4. mulmodernClematis
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1863clematis

Earliest quotation: 1863, Charles Kingsley: “He came slowly up to the open door, which…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *kelh₂- ‘to beat, break’

coup, holly, holt, clerk, clergy, calamity, gladiator, clerical, cleric, calamitous, gladiolus, clade, 29 more

Today it means

noun Any plant of the genus Clematis, vigorous climbing lianas found throughout the temperate zones.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek κλῆμα / clematis

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