lavande (French)

Where does "lavande" come from?

The French noun 'lavande' traces back to Middle French around 1300[1]. It ultimately derives from Medieval Latin 'lavendula'[1]. While the French form is traditionally thought to derive from Italian 'lavanda', that Italian form is attested significantly later, and the French term may alternatively represent an independent dissimilation[1].

Open questions

• The derivation from Italian lavanda is complicated by the fact that the Italian form is attested significantly later than the French one. [1]

Full etymology tree

• lavande (French), 'lavender (the plant)'
  • inherited lavande (Middle French)
    • borrowed lavendula (Medieval Latin)

Descendants and derived words

• lavandă (Romanian)

Sources

1. lavande (French) - Wiktionary
2. lavanda (Italian) - Wiktionary

Updated October 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris