Etymograph

English

paprika

Paprika comes from Hungarian paprika ‘paprika (spice)’, from Serbo-Croatian pȁpar ‘pepper’, and ultimately from Ancient Greek πέπερι.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπέπεριpéperi‘pepper’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpiper‘pepper’
  3. Proto-Slavicc. 400–900 CE*pьpьrь‘pepper (genus Piper)’reconstructed
  4. Serbo-Croatianmodernpȁpar‘pepper’
  5. Serbo-Croatian, derivedmodernpàprika‘bell pepper, pepper, paprika’
  6. Hungarianmodernpaprika‘paprika (spice)’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1961same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπέπεριpéperi‘pepper’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpiper‘pepper’
  3. Proto-Slavicc. 400–900 CE*pьpьrь‘pepper (genus Piper)’reconstructed
  4. Serbo-Croatianmodernpȁpar‘pepper’
  5. Serbo-Croatian, derivedmodernpàprika‘bell pepper, pepper, paprika’
  6. Hungarianmodernpaprika‘paprika (spice)’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1961same form

Earliest quotation: 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs: “As a condiment in food, paprika is reputed to…”

Linked words

through Ancient Greek πέπερι ‘pepper’

pepperoni, 7 more

through Latin piper ‘pepper’

pepper, pimpernel, 8 more

Today it means

noun Powdered spice made from dried and ground fruits of sweet pepper (bell pepper) or chili pepper (cultivars of Capsicum annuum), or mixtures of these (used especially in Hungarian cooking).

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

Etymograph / Ancient Greek πέπερι / paprika

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