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a·bu·ti·lon

(ə-bytl-ŏn′)

See flowering maple.

[New Latin Abutilon, genus name, from Medieval Latin abutilon, a kind of plant used to treat wounds, from medieval scientific Arabic 'abūṭīlūn, folk-etymological alteration of earlier 'ūbūṭīlūn, 'awbūṭīlūn (taken as 'abū, father, source + Andalusian Arabic ṭaylūn, toad), ultimately from misreading of Syriac 'arqṭī'ūn, 'arqūṭī'ūn, partly from Greek arkion, burdock (probably from arkein, to suffice, endure, from its tenacious burs ) and partly from Greek arktion, the plant Inula candida (burdock and Inula candida often being treated together in medieval botanical works).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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