plant (English)
Where does "plant" come from?
The English noun plant descends from Middle English 'plante'[1] and Old English 'plante', meaning a young tree, shrub, or newly planted herb[1]. These forms trace back through Proto-West Germanic '*plantu'[1] to Latin 'planta', which originally meant 'sprout, shoot, or cutting'[1]. The broader meaning of vegetation generally entered the language from Old French 'plante'[1]. The verb form developed through Middle English 'planten' and Old English 'plantian', derived from Latin 'plantāre' and later influenced by Old French 'planter'[1]. Furthermore, industrial and machinery senses arose from a Latin development meaning any vegetable production serving to propagate the species[1].
Open questions
- The Latin noun planta may alternatively derive from a root meaning to strike or fasten rather than from a root meaning flat. [2]
Full etymology tree
- plant (English), 'An organism that is not an animal, especially an organism capable of photosynthesis. Typically a small or herbaceous organism of this kind, rather than a tree.'
- inherited plante (Middle English)
- inherited plante (Old English), 'plant, shoot'
- inherited *plantu (Proto-West Germanic), 'plant, shoot'
- borrowed planta (Latin), 'any vegetable production that serves to propagate the species; a sprout, shoot, twig, sprig, sucker, graft, scion, slip, cutting'
- inherited *plāntā (Proto-Italic)
- inherited *pléh₂-n̥t-eh₂ (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *pleh₂- (Proto-Indo-European), 'flat'
- inherited *pléh₂-n̥t-eh₂ (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *plāntā (Proto-Italic)
- borrowed planta (Latin), 'any vegetable production that serves to propagate the species; a sprout, shoot, twig, sprig, sucker, graft, scion, slip, cutting'
- inherited *plantu (Proto-West Germanic), 'plant, shoot'
- inherited plante (Old English), 'plant, shoot'
- derived planten (Middle English), 'alternative form of planteyne'
- inherited plantian (Old English), 'to plant'
- inherited *plantōn (Proto-West Germanic), 'to plant, set'
- inherited plantare (Latin), 'inflection of plantō:'
- derived planta (Latin), 'any vegetable production that serves to propagate the species; a sprout, shoot, twig, sprig, sucker, graft, scion, slip, cutting'
- inherited *plāntā (Proto-Italic)
- inherited *pléh₂-n̥t-eh₂ (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *pleh₂- (Proto-Indo-European), 'flat'
- inherited *pléh₂-n̥t-eh₂ (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *plāntā (Proto-Italic)
- derived planta (Latin), 'any vegetable production that serves to propagate the species; a sprout, shoot, twig, sprig, sucker, graft, scion, slip, cutting'
- inherited plantare (Latin), 'inflection of plantō:'
- inherited *plantōn (Proto-West Germanic), 'to plant, set'
- influence planter (Old French)
- inherited plantian (Old English), 'to plant'
- influence plante (Old French)
- inherited plante (Middle English)
Ancestors
- plante (Old English)
- *plantu (Proto-West Germanic)
- planta (Latin)
- planten (Middle English)
- plantian (Old English)
- planto (Latin)
Cognates and doublets
- planten (Dutch)
- clan (English)
- planta (English)
- pflanzen (German)
- planta (Icelandic)
- planté (Old French)
- plantera (Swedish)
Descendants and derived words
- air plant (English)
- Albany pitcher plant (English)
- antiplant (English)
- ant-plant (English)
- artillery plant (English)
- ashplant (English)
- assembly plant (English)
- assplant (English)
- assplant (English)
- asthma-plant (English)
- Australian pitcher plant (English)
- balloon plant (English)
Sources
- plant (English) - Wiktionary
- planta (Latin) - Wiktionary
- planto (Latin) - Wiktionary
- plante (Old English) - Wiktionary
- plantian (Old English) - Wiktionary
- plantu (Proto-West Germanic) - Wiktionary
- pleh₂- (Proto-Indo-European) - Wiktionary
- plantōn (Proto-West Germanic) - Wiktionary
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris