Etymology

melaleuca

M3E1L1A1L1E1U1C3A1

Today it means: Any member of the genus Melaleuca of shrubs and trees in the myrtle family. Full definition →

Ancient Greek λευκός (leukós) ← Proto-Hellenic *leukós ← Proto-Indo-European *lewkós
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*melh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*mélh₂ns
  3. Proto-Hellenic*mélans
  4. Ancient Greekμέλας (mélas)
  5. Proto-Indo-European*lewk-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*lewkós
  7. Proto-Hellenic*leukós
  8. Ancient Greekλευκός (leukós)
  9. English todaymelaleuca

Borrowed from Translingual Melaleuca.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.