Proto-Indo-European *weh₂g- "to break; split, bite" (AHD) (or "cover, sheath") became Latin uāgīna "sheath", because sheaths were probably made from a simple split piece of wood.
Latin uāgīna became Spanish vaina, the diminutive of which is vaynilla/vainilla, borrowed into English as the word for the sheath-shaped vanilla bean. Cf. Italian vainiglia, Portuguese bainilha, French vanille.
Also: etymological vaginas (seen on the Valve).
2 comments:
Eeeeeeeew. Lol.
And here's something I wrote a while ago about Lord Byron's vagina. If I'd thought to add vanilla (as it were) into the mix of that piece, what a splendid thing it would have been!
Post a Comment