Iris pseudacorus - an odd etymological twist
- To: i*@Rt66.com
- Subject: Iris pseudacorus - an odd etymological twist
- From: t*@Lanl.GOV (Tom Tadfor Little)
- Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 16:21:29 -0600
Back when we were discussing the pronunciation of Iris
pseudacorus, I mentioned the fact that the name comes
from pseud(o) + Acorus, i.e., false Acorus. Browsing an
unabridged dictionary today (Webster's Third), I discovered
that the Greek word akoros (which is where the Latin
Acorus comes from) apparently referred not to the plant
we call Acorus, but rather to Iris pseudacorus!
So it seems that the rumor of this iris's "falsehood" is
greatly exaggerated. ;)
Happy irising, Tom.
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Tom Tadfor Little tlittle@lanl.gov -or- telp@Rt66.com
technical writer/editor Los Alamos National Laboratory
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Telperion Productions http://www.rt66.com/~telp/
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