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Origin and history of nectar

nectar(n.)

1550s, from Latin nectar, from Greek nektar, name of the drink of the gods, which is perhaps an ancient Indo-European poetic compound of nek- "death" (from PIE root *nek- (1) "death") + -tar "overcoming," which is reconstructed to be from PIE root *tere- (2) "cross over, pass through, overcome." The sense of "any delicious drink" is from 1580s. The meaning "sweet liquid in flowers" is recorded by c. 1600.

also from 1550s

Entries linking to nectar

nectarine(n.)

type of peach with smooth skin and firmer pulp, 1660s, noun use of adjective meaning "of or like nectar" (1610s; see nectar + -ine (1)). Probably inspired by German nektarpfirsich "nectar-peach." Earlier in English as nectrine.

*nek-(1)

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "death." It might form all or part of: innocent; innocuous; internecine; necro-; necropolis; necrosis; necromancy; nectar; nectarine; nociceptive; nocuous; noxious; nuisance; obnoxious; pernicious.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit nasyati "disappears, perishes," Avestan nasyeiti "disappears," nasu- "corpse," Old Persian vi-nathayatiy "he injures;" Greek nekros "corpse;" Latin nex, genitive necis "violent death, murder" (as opposed to mors), nocere "to harm, hurt," noxius "harmful;" Greek nekus "dead" (adj.), nekros "dead body, corpse;" Old Irish ec, Breton ankou, Welsh angeu "death."

*tere-(2)

*terə- Proto-Indo-European root meaning "cross over, pass through, overcome."

It might form all or part of: avatar; caravanserai; nectar; nectarine; nostril; seraglio; thrill; thorough; through; tranche; trans-; transient; transom; trench; truculent; truncate; trunk.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit tirah, Avestan taro "through, beyond;" Latin trans "beyond;" Old Irish tre, Welsh tra "through;" Old English þurh "through."

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    ambrosia
    1560s, "favored food or drink of the gods," from Latin ambrosia, from Greek ambrosia "food of the gods," noun use of fem. of ambrosios "divine," probably literally "of the immortals," from ambrotos "immortal, imperishable," from a- "not" (see a- (3)) + mbrotos, related to mortos
    paradisiacal
    paradise rivals NECTAR in the number of experiments that the desire for a satisfactory adjective has occasioned....But, whereas nectar is in the end well enough provided, no-one uses any adjective from paradise without feeling that surely...
    tear
    "fluid drop from the eye," Old English tear "tear, drop, nectar, what is distilled in drops," from earlier teahor, tæhher...
    sap
    This is reconstructed to be from PIE root *sab- "juice, fluid" (source also of Sanskrit sabar- "sap, milk, nectar," Irish...
    pop
    A new manufactory of a nectar, between soda-water and ginger-beer, and called pop, because 'pop goes the cork' when it is...
    mildew
    fungus that appears on plants or decaying organic matter," mid-14c., a transferred sense of a word that meant originally "nectar...
    Hesperides
    They were far-famed in antiquity; for it was there that springs of nectar flowed by the couch of Zeus, and there that the...
    dainty
    c. 1300, deinte, "delightful, pleasing" (late 12c. as a surname), from dainty (n.); see below. Meaning evolved in Middle English to "choice, excellent" (late 14c.) to "delicately pretty, exhibiting exquisite taste or skill" (c. 1400). Sense of "fastidious, affectedly fine, weak,
    treat
    c. 1300, "negotiate, bargain, deal with," from Old French traitier "deal with, act toward; set forth (in speech or writing)" (12c.), from Latin tractare "manage, handle, deal with, conduct oneself toward," originally "drag about, tug, haul, pull violently," frequentative of trahe
    hour
    c. 1200, "divine office prescribed for each of the seven canonical hours; the daily service at the canonical hours;" c. 1300, "time of day appointed for prayer, one of the seven canonical hours," from Old French ore, hore "canonical hour; one-twelfth of a day" (sunrise to sunset)

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