pothos
ˈpɒθɒs
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
πόθος — longing, yearning
Overview
Meaning Now
- A tropical flowering plant of the family Araceae, often kept as a houseplant.
- A term formerly used in classical botany to refer to various unrelated plants, now primarily associated with Epipremnum aureum.
Literal older meaning
In Ancient Greek, 'pothos' means 'desire', 'longing', or 'yearning'.
Language path
Ancient Greek → New Latin → English
Earliest form
πόθος (póthos)
Earliest period
Classical antiquity
Journey
The plant name originates from the Greek word 'pothos', signifying an intense longing or desire. In Greek mythology, Pothos was a son of Aphrodite, representing the yearning aspect of love. The name was adopted into botanical classification by Linnaeus for a genus in the Araceae family, though the plants commonly sold as 'pothos' today are scientifically classified as Epipremnum aureum.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
πόθος
“longing; a name applied to various plants”
Used by Theophrastus for unspecified plants.
- 18th century
Pothos
“Botanical genus”
Carl Linnaeus established the genus name in taxonomy.
- Modern English
pothos
“Epipremnum aureum (common houseplant)”
Colloquial usage for the houseplant.
Connections
Word parts
pothos
root
longing/plant name
Related across languages
Greek
πόθος
longing
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Related to pothos
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.