Etymology of thymus by etymonline (original) (raw)

plant of the mint family, noted for pungent aromatic quality and cultivated as a seasoning, c. 1300, time. thime, tyme, from Old French thym, tym (13c.), Anglo-French thime, time, and directly from Latin thymum, from Greek thymon.

This has been derived (Watkins) from PIE root *dheu- (1), base of words meaning "smoke," for its scent or from being burned as a sacrifice (compare Greek thymiao "fumigate," thymin "incense"), but Beekes finds this "doubtful" and suggests that "As a local plant name, the word is liable to be of Pre-Greek origin."

Generally tyme in 15c., for the restored spelling see th. Related: Thymic; thymy.