myrtille (French)

Where does "myrtille" come from?

The French noun 'myrtille' is a learned borrowing from Medieval Latin 'myrtillus'[1]. This Medieval Latin form combines 'myrtus' meaning 'myrtle' with the diminutive suffix '-illus'[2]. The Latin 'myrtus' itself traces back to Ancient Greek 'μύρτος' meaning 'myrtle'[3], which ultimately derives from a Semitic origin[2].

Open questions

• The Ancient Greek term 'μύρτος' may be a Pre-Greek borrowing due to observed root variations. [4]
• The ultimate origin of the Greek term is traced to a Semitic source. [2]

Full etymology tree

• myrtille (French), 'blueberry (fruit), bilberry'
  • learned borrowing myrtillus (Latin), 'blueberry'
    • derived myrtus (Latin), 'myrtle (tree)'
      • inherited μύρτος (múrtos) (Ancient Greek), 'myrtle (Myrtus communis)'
        • borrowed (Pre-Greek)
    • suffix -illus (Latin), 'Used to form diminutives of nouns.'

Ancestors

• myrtillus (Latin)

Sources

1. myrtille (French) - Wiktionary
2. myrtillus (Latin) - Wiktionary
3. myrtus (Latin) - Wiktionary
4. μύρτος (múrtos) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary

Updated September 2026

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