# alfalfa

> English word · Noun · IPA /ælˈfælfə/ · frequency rank #36,034

## Definitions
1. A plant, principally of Medicago sativa, grown as a pasture crop.
2. A type or breed of this plant.

## Etymology
PIE word
 *h₁éḱwos
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *HéHḱus
Proto-Indo-European *h₁éḱwos
Proto-Indo-Iranian *Háćwas
Proto-Iranian *Hácwah
Proto-Iranian *Hástiš
Proto-Iranian *HacwaHastiš
Old Median *aspāstišder.
Arabic فَصْفَص (faṣfaṣ)bor.
Old Spanish alfalfez
Spanish alfalfabor.
English alfalfa
From Spanish alfalfa, from Old Spanish alfalfez, from Arabic الْفَصْفَصَة (al-faṣfaṣa, “alfalfa, lucerne”).

## Common misspellings (10)
`aflalfa`, `alaflfa`, `alfafla`, `alfalaf`, `alfalffa`, `alfallfa`, `alffalfa`, `alflafa`, `allfalfa`, `lafalfa`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/alfalfa