tansy

tansy · noun¹

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromἀθανασία“immortality”
2. Medieval Latin · derived fromtanacetum
3. Old French · derived fromtanesie
4. Middle English · inherited fromtansy
5. English todaytansy

Inherited from Middle English tansy, tansey, syncopic forms of earlier tanesie, tanesei, from Old French tanesie, tanoisie, tanasie, tanaisie, from Medieval Latin tanacetum, atanacetum, attested since the 8th century, of obscure origin, speculated from Ancient Greek ἀθανασία (athanasía, “immortality”) owing to hallucinations from the thujone in the plant, else from taenia (“tapeworm”) due to its primary use against parasites by which reason it is called in Arabic حَشِيشَة الدُود (ḥašīša ad-dūd, literally “worm herb”), otherwise a Berber borrowing like tagetes.

Tansy · proper noun²

From the plant tansy. Probable doublet of Athanasia.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• 19th cent. A female given name from English.