ScriptureMyths & disputes

aloe

Greek aloē, the bitter succulent behind the purgative drug, was a loanword from somewhere further east. Bible translators also used it for the Hebrew ʾăhālîm, a fragrant Indian wood, so English 'aloes' has meant two different things for a thousand years.

Weakest linkCertain

The story you may have heard

The extracted draft ran Tamil akil to Hebrew ʾăhāl to Greek aloē, which makes aloe a Hebrew word. Hebrew ʾăhālîm (Num 24:6, Ps 45:9) is fragrant eaglewood, probably from Tamil akil. The Septuagint and Vulgate rendered it with the Greek and Latin word for an unrelated plant, likely because the two sounded alike (OED, via Etymonline). Hebrew gave aloe a second meaning, not its form. The Greek word's own source is still unknown.

The road to English

From Latin to Old French

50 CEKoine Greek

Hops are evenly spaced; labels show the year each form is first attested.

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