INTRODUCTION. 
XV 
lent example of tlie way in wliich a name, apparently meaningless, 
may be shown to have really arisen in a natural peculiarity of the 
plant to which it applies. 
Many north-country names are derived from Swedish and 
Danish sources. A most interesting example occurs in the word 
Kemps, a name applied in Scotland to the black heads of the 
Kibwort Plantain, Plantago lanceolata. We find the origin of this 
name in the Danish kcenipey a warrior. The reason of the name is 
found in the game which children in most parts of the kingdom 
play with the flower-stalks of the plantain, by endeavouring to knock 
the heads off each other’s mimic weapons. In the north, rushes are 
called Seaves, which is referred to the Danish siv^ or the Swedish 
soef, meaning a rush. The Eowan-tree, Pyrus AucMparia, with all 
its varieties of spelling and pronunciation, comes from the Danish 
ronn, Swedish runn, which is traceable to the “ Old Korse I'una, a 
charm, from its being supposed to have power to avert the evil 
eye ” — (Prior). 
Several of our commonest plant-names are obtained from the 
Low German or Dutch; as, for instance, Buckwheat, Polygonum 
Fagopyrum^ from Du. hockweit. Brown-wort, one of the names for 
the two species of Bcrophularia^ is perhaps from German hraunwurtz, 
in allusion to their brown-coloured stems and flowers. Dr. Prior, 
however, favours a different derivation. 
Karnes of French origin are more frequent. A familiar instance 
is Dandelion, from Fr. dent-de-Uon, lion’s tooth, although the reason 
for the name is not satisfactorily known. So Framboys, an old 
Dorsetshire name for the raspberry, is unmistakably French. Mush- 
room is an anglicised form of the French mousscron. Champilion 
and Champeron are also forms of the French Champignon. Tutsan, a 
name of one of the St. John’s Worts, which becomes in Buckingham- 
shire, Tipsen-leaves, and Touch-and-heal, and in Hampshire Touchen- 
leaves, is a corruption of the French toute saine, and is given to the 
plant on account of its reputed healing properties. 
Katurally there is not a long list of names derived from Arabic 
or Persian, but from the former Barberry may be adduced as an 
instance, and from the latter Lilac and Tulip. 
