cranesbill

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromγέρᾰνος“crane”
2. Latin · derived fromgeranium
3. Dutch · calque ofcraenhals
4. English todaycranesbill

First attested in the 1500s. Calque of Dutch craenhals; cognate with German Kranichhals and Middle Low German kraneshals, all likely derived from Latin geranium, from Ancient Greek γέρᾰνος (gérănos, “crane”). By surface analysis, crane + -s- + bill. The flowering plant is so called because of the lengthened appendage of the seed vessel.

Words from the same roots