English
polyanthus
Polyanthus comes from Renaissance Latin polyanthus ‘having many flowers’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- ‘to fill’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pleh₁-‘to fill’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*polh₁ús‘much, many’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπολύςpolús‘many’
- Renaissance Latinc. 1300–1500polyanthus‘having many flowers’
- Englishearliest quotation 1793same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pleh₁-‘to fill’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*polh₁ús‘much, many’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπολύςpolús‘many’
- Renaissance Latinc. 1300–1500polyanthus‘having many flowers’
- Englishearliest quotation 1793same form
Earliest quotation: 1793, Hester Piozzi: “[T]he Hens all want to sit, the Primroses Polyanthuses…”
Formed from poly- + ἄνθος ‘flower’
Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- ‘to fill’
Proto-Indo-European *polh₁ús ‘much, many’
Ancient Greek πολύς ‘many, much’
English poly-
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- ‘to fill’
people, public, full, complete, popular, plus, fill, supply, plenty, plain, completion, implement, accomplish, folk, supplement, comply, manipulation, ample, complement, plural, amplitude, amplify, depletion, plenary, plethora, replenish, replete, puri, plenum, deplete, plebs, volk, plebeian, fulsome, 74 more
through Proto-Indo-European *polh₁ús ‘much, many’
Today it means
noun A type of primula, apparently originally from a hybrid between the cowslip and the primrose, having many different-coloured flowers.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- / polyanthus