The Etymology of Cilantro
Cilantro may be the only herb in English named after an insect.βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ The word arrived from Spanish, where 'cilantro' is a variant of 'culantro,' descending through Late Latin from Latin 'coriandrum' and Greek 'koriannon.' Ancient Greek commentators connected the name to 'koris,' meaning bedbug, suggesting the leaves' aroma reminded people of crushed insects. Whether that etymology is folk reasoning or genuine remains debated. English already had 'coriander,' borrowed from Latin in the 14th century for the entire plant. 'Cilantro' only entered American English in the early 20th century, driven by Mexican cuisine, filling a gap: Americans needed a word to distinguish the fresh leaves from the dried seeds. British English never adopted it, using 'coriander' for both.