entry
blossom
/ˈblɒsəm/flowering stage; bloom or flourish
From Proto-Indo-European bhel- (to thrive).
from Old English blostm , blostma
from Old English blostm , blostma
from Proto-Germanic *blo-s- (source also of Middle Low German blosom , Dutch bloesem , German Blust )
Word Ancestry
from Old English blostm , blostma
from Old English blostm , blostma
from Proto-Germanic *blo-s- (source also of Middle Low German blosom , Dutch bloesem , German Blust )
Before English speakers got all sentimental about flowers, they already had a rugged native word for the whole business of blooming: blossom. It’s a very old Germanic heirloom, tied to the same ancient family that gives us bloom and, more remotely, words built around thriving and bursting into life. That’s why blossom feels so lively in the mouth — it sounds like something opening, almost physically. By late Old English, people were already using it figuratively for beauty, excellence, and the prime of life, so a peach tree and a young person could both be said to be in blossom. Think of it as the word that turns spring into a verb with petals.
The Story
Before English speakers got all sentimental about flowers, they already had a rugged native word for the whole business of blooming: blossom. It’s a very old Germanic heirloom, tied to the same ancient family that gives us bloom and, more remotely, words built around thriving and bursting into life. That’s why blossom feels so lively in the mouth — it sounds like something opening, almost physically. By late Old English, people were already using it figuratively for beauty, excellence, and the prime of life, so a peach tree and a young person could both be said to be in blossom. Think of it as the word that turns spring into a verb with petals.
Kin & Kindred
From 'bhel-'·to thrive, bloom
Derived Terms
English words from this root