parsley

parsley · noun, verb¹

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromπετροσέλῑνον“parsley”
2. Latin · derived frompetroselīnum
3. Old French · derived fromperesil
4. Middle English · inherited frompersely
5. English todayparsley

From Middle English persely, from Old French peresil, from Latin petroselīnum, from Ancient Greek πετροσέλῑνον (petrosélīnon, “parsley”), from πέτρος (pétros, “rock, stone”) + σέλῑνον (sélīnon, “celery”). Displaced Old English petersiliġe, which goes back to the same root.

Parsley · proper noun²

1. Old French · derived frompasser“to pass”
2. English todayParsley

Altered form, later assimilated by folk etymology to the herb name parsley, of the medieval family name Passelewe, from Old French passer (“to pass”) + la (“the”) + ewe (“water”), probably a nickname for a ferryman or a person who travelled overseas.

Words from the same roots