fennel

The story

1. Latin · derived fromfaeniculum
2. Late Latin · derived fromfēnuculum
3. Vulgar Latin · derived from*fēnuclum
4. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*fenukl
5. Old English · inherited fromfinuðl
6. Middle English · inherited fromfenel
7. English todayfennel

From the Middle English fenel, from the late Old English finuðl, finule (weak feminine forms); fenol, finul (masculine forms), from Proto-West Germanic *fenukl, from the Vulgar Latin *fēnuclum, fēnoclum, from Late Latin fēnuculum, from the Classical Latin faeniculum, a diminutive form of faenum (“hay”); compare the Italian finocchio, the Occitan fenolh, the French fenouil, and the Spanish hinojo. Doublet of finocchio and finook.