Etymology

tragacanth

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Today it means: A polysaccharide gum, extracted from several species of leguminous plants of the genus Astragalus, formerly used medicinally and now as a food additive. Also more fully gum tragacanth. Full definition →

First used 16th c.Latin tragacantha ← Koine Greek τραγάκανθα (tragákantha) ← Ancient Greek ἄκανθα (ákantha)
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The story

  1. Ancient Greekτρᾰ́γω (trắgō)
  2. Ancient Greekτράγος (trágos)
  3. Proto-Hellenic*akā́
  4. Ancient Greekἀκή (akḗ)
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₂endʰ-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*h₂éndʰos
  7. Proto-Hellenic*ántʰos
  8. Ancient Greekἄνθος (ánthos)
  9. Ancient Greekἄκανθα (ákantha)
  10. Koine Greekτραγάκανθα (tragákantha)
  11. Latintragacantha
  12. English todaytragacanth

From Latin tragacantha, from Koine Greek τραγάκανθα (tragákantha, “tragacanth”), from Ancient Greek τράγος (trágos, “goat”) + ἄκανθα (ákantha, “thorn”). Doublet of adragant.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 16th c. A polysaccharide gum, extracted from several species of leguminous plants of the genus Astragalus, formerly used medicinally and now as a food additive. Also more fully gum tragacanth.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.