120 Geographical Distribution of the Genus Allium. 



whatever may have been the primary root, the Romans, who were 

 much better acquainted with the Greeks than with the Celts, must 

 certainly have taken the word from the Greek, Aglis, which in 

 the plural, Aglites, was the term used for the root or cloves of 

 the garlic. We find the g, which was omitted by the Romans, 

 still retained in its soft form by the Italians in their word for the 

 same plant, Aglio. Iu French it becomes Ail, in Spanish Ajo, 

 and in Portuguese Alho. This accordance in name may lead us 

 to infer that either the Romans themselves introduced the garlic 

 into their western provinces, or that it had been perhaps taken 

 there before their conquests by Greek mariners, who would have 

 the cloves or root on board their vessels, both as an article of 

 food for themselves, and for traffic with the natives. Garlic was an 

 indigenous plant probably in Lower Egypt, as well as in the islands 

 of the Eastern Mediterranean. 



Cepa, the specific name of the onion, and by which it was 

 known separately by the Romans from the Allium or garlic, has- 

 the appearance of a Greek extraction also; Kephalis being the 

 term applied to the head of flowers, prevailing in all the plants of 

 the kind. The Keph becomes Cep from the softening of the con- 

 souant before e. The modern Italian here also approaches nearer 

 the Greek than the Latins did, and we have cipollo in Italy at the 

 present day, instead of cepa. The Celtic cep, meaning a head, may 

 be the primary root ; and, if we rely on this etymology, the onion 

 or cepa may be considered to have derived its name, either 

 from having been looked upon as the principal of its kind, or 

 from possessing the most perfect capitulum or head of flowers. 

 Its habitat was probably more extended than that of garlic, pass- 

 ing perhaps from the Mediterranean islands into northern Greece. 

 A good European flora would shew if this supposition were correct. 



The Gothic and Saxon races do not seem to have followed the 

 Latins in their names for these vegetables ; but, adopting their 

 own word, Leek, Look, or Lauch, as a general term, affixed to it 

 some other word denoting what appeared most characteristic in 

 the species they wished to particularize. The leek or prason of 

 the Greeks, the porrum, of the Romans, and poireau of the 

 French, was familiar to them. Instead, therefore, of introducing 

 the soft language of the south, they vigorously applied the firm 

 articulations of their own tongue in combinations, to express new 

 ideas, or name new objects as they presented themselves. This 

 rule has not held, howeve in the case of the shallot, which, 



