# gentian

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈd͡ʒɛnt͡ʃən/ · frequency rank #80,479

## Definitions
1. Any of various herbs of the family Gentianaceae found in temperate and mountainous regions with violet or blue flowers.
2. Dried roots and rhizome of European gentian (Gentiana lutea), used as a tonic.

## Etymology
Via Middle English from Latin gentiāna, which, according to Pliny the Elder, was named after Gentius (Ancient Greek Γένθιος (Génthios)), the last king of Illyria, who supposedly discovered the plant's medicinal benefits. This has been dismissed as folk etymology but the word may still ultimately be of Illyrian origin, as -an is a common suffix in Illyrian words.

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