Etymograph

English

yarrow

Yarrow comes from Proto-West Germanic *garwā ‘yarrow, yarrow-like herbs’.

  1. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*garwā‘yarrow, yarrow-like herbs’reconstructed
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150ġearwe
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ȝarowe
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1612yarrow

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*garwā‘yarrow, yarrow-like herbs’reconstructed
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150ġearwe
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ȝarowe
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1612yarrow

Earliest quotation: 1612, Michael Drayton, Poly-Olbion: “The Yarrow, where-with-all he stops the wound-made gore”.

The story

From Middle English ȝarowe, yarowe, yarwe, from Old English ġearwe, from Proto-West Germanic *garwā (‘yarrow, yarrow-like herbs’), perhaps derived from *garu (‘prepared, ready (of food)’), as the plant was used medicinally for digestion.

Linked words

through Proto-Germanic *garwaz ‘ready, prepared’

garb, gar, 4 more

through Proto-West Germanic *garu ‘prepared, ready (of food)’

yar, yare, 3 more

Today it means

noun Any of several pungent Eurasian and North American herbs, of the genus Achillea, used in traditional herbal medicine.

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

Etymograph / Proto-West Germanic *garwā / yarrow

Shirt and support for this word