topiary

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromτόπιον“field, landscape”
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromτόπια“artistic representation in which natural or artificial features of a place are used as the medium”
3. Latin · derived fromtopia“ornamental gardening, landscape painting”
4. Latin · derived fromtopiarius“of or relating to ornamental gardening; an ornamental garden, an ornamental gardener”
5. English todaytopiary

From Latin topiarius (“of or relating to ornamental gardening; an ornamental garden, an ornamental gardener”), from Latin topia (“ornamental gardening, landscape painting”), from Ancient Greek τόπια (tópia, “artistic representation in which natural or artificial features of a place are used as the medium”), plural of Ancient Greek τόπιον (tópion, “field, landscape”), from τόπος (tópos, “place”). The adjective use dates to 1592, the noun use dates to 1908.

Words from the same roots