lovage

English

Etymology

From Middle English loveache, a folk-etymological alteration, after love and ache (“parsley”), of Anglo-Norman luvasche and Old French luvache, loveche et al., and Middle French levesche, from Latin levisticum, probably alteration of Latin ligusticum, substantivization of the neuter of Ligusticus (“Ligurian”), ultimately from Ancient Greek Λιγυστικός (Ligustikós, “Ligurian”), from Λίγυς (Lígus, “Ligurian”). This replaced the Old English name lufestiċe (literally “love-stitch”), which was also derived from levisticum and altered by folk-etymology.[1]

Pronunciation

Noun

lovage (countable and uncountable, plural lovages)

  1. A perennial Mediterranean herb, of species Levisticum officinale, with odor and flavor resembling celery.
  2. A liquor made from this herb.
  3. Various species in the genus Ligusticum (generally with an adjective to differentiate them from Levisticum)

Derived terms

Translations

References

  1. ^ “lovage”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

Further reading

Anagrams

Middle English

Noun

lovage

  1. alternative form of loveache
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