hemlock

hemlock · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*sewh₁-“to press out, extract”
2. Proto-Indo-Iranian · derived from*sáwmas
3. Proto-Iranian · derived from*háwmah“ephedra; juice”
4. Scythian · derived from
5. Old English · inherited fromhemlīc
6. Middle English · inherited fromhemlok
7. English todayhemlock

From Middle English hemlok, hemeluc, from Old English hemlīc, hymlīc m and hymlīce f (“hemlock, bryony, convolvulus”), of uncertain origin. speculative etymology Compare Old English hymele (“hop-vine, hops”), Old English humele (“bryony, widerton, hair moss, gold-hair, morning glory”), Danish and Swedish humle (“hops”), Icelandic humall (“hops”). Perhaps from Scythian, from Proto-Iranian *háwmah (“ephedra; juice”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sáwmas from Proto-Indo-European *sewh₁- (“to press out, extract”). ;cognates * (from Sarmato-Scythian *haumala) Ossetian хумӕллӕг (xumællæg, “hops”) * (from Sarmato-Scythian *hauma) Avestan 𐬵𐬀𐬊𐬨𐬀 (haoma), Baluchi [script needed] (hum), Persian هوم (hôm)) * (from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma) Sanskrit सोम (soma)) More at suck.

Hemlock · proper noun²

All places are presumably named after the North American tree, which is non-poisonous.

First known use, by meaning

• from c. 1600 Poison obtained from these Conium and Cicuta plants.
• from 1670 Any of several coniferous trees, of the genus Tsuga, that grow in North America; the wood of such trees.