Etymology

yarrow

Y4A1R1R1O1W4

Today it means: Any of several pungent Eurasian and North American herbs, of the genus Achillea, used in traditional herbal medicine. Full definition →

Middle English ȝarowe ← Old English ġearwe ← Proto-West Germanic *garwā
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yarrow · noun1

  1. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*garwā“yarrow, yarrow-like herbs”
  2. Old English · inherited fromġearwe
  3. Middle English · inherited fromȝarowe
  4. English todayyarrow

From Middle English ȝarowe, yarowe, yarwe, from Old English ġearwe, from Proto-West Germanic *garwā (“yarrow, yarrow-like herbs”), perhaps derived from *garu (“prepared, ready (of food)”), as the plant was used medicinally for digestion. Cognate with Dutch gerw (“yarrow”) and German (Schaf-)garbe.

yarrow · noun2

Origin unknown. Perhaps imitative of the bird's cry; compare yaffle, hewhole.

Yarrow · proper noun3

  1. Welsh · derived fromgarw“rough”
  2. English todayYarrow

* The river is believed to be of Celtic/Brythonic origin and related to Welsh garw (“rough”). * English and Scottish surname derived from the river, though likely influenced by the noun yarrow.

Words from the same roots

Welshgarw all →

Garw

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.