lovage

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromΛιγυστικός“Ligurian”
2. Latin · derived fromligusticum
3. Latin · derived fromlevisticum
4. Middle French · derived fromlevesche
5. Old French · derived fromluvache
6. Anglo-Norman · derived fromluvasche
7. Middle English · inherited fromloveache
8. English todaylovage

From Middle English loveache, a folk-etymological alteration, after love and ache (“parsley”), of Anglo-Norman luvasche and Old French luvache, loveche et al., and Middle French levesche, from Latin levisticum, probably alteration of Latin ligusticum, substantivization of the neuter of Ligusticus (“Ligurian”), ultimately from Ancient Greek Λιγυστικός (Ligustikós, “Ligurian”), from Λίγυς (Lígus, “Ligurian”). This replaced the Old English name lufestiċe (literally “love-stitch”), which was also derived from levisticum and altered by folk-etymology.