reseda

See also: Reseda and réséda

English

WOTD – 14 May 2018

Etymology

The flowers of a reseda or mignonette (Reseda odorata; sense 2)

From French réséda, from Latin resēda, said by Pliny the Elder (23–79 C.E.) to be from resēdāre (“to soothe”), from re- (“prefix meaning ‘again’”) + sēdare (from sēdō (“to assuage, calm”)), an allusion to the healing properties of the plant.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈsiːdə/, /ˈɹɛsɪdə/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɹəˈsidə/
• Hyphenation: re‧se‧da

Noun

reseda (plural resedas)

1. (botany) Any of various plants of the genus Reseda having small, pale grayish green flowers, such as dyer's rocket (Reseda luteola) and mignonette (Reseda odorata).
   • [1640, John Rider, Francis Holy-Oke [i.e., Francis Holyoake], “Reseda”, in Riders Dictionarie, Corrected and Augmented with the Addition of Many Hundred Words Both out of the Law, and out of the Latine, French, and Other Languages, such as Were and Are with Us in Common Use, but Never Printed till Now, to the Perfecting of the Worke. [...], London: Imprinted by Felix Kingston for Iohn Waterson, →OCLC:

     Reſeda […] An herbe that hath a ſtalke like knots and joynts, a leafe like a nettle, and white in the middle.]

   • 1850 September, “Flora Historica” [pseudonym], “MIGNONETTE.—RESEDA ODORATA.”, in Joseph Harrison, editor, The Floricultural Cabinet, and Florists’ Magazine, volume XVIII, number 45 (New Series), London: Whittaker and Co., Ave Maria Lane, →OCLC, page 223:

     This genus of plants, of which we have twelve species, was named Reseda by the ancients, from resedare to assuage, because some of the species were esteemed good for mitigating pains; and we learn from Pliny, that the Reseda was considered to possess even the power of charming away many disorders. He tells us […] that when it was used to resolve swellings, or to assuage inflammations, it was the custom to repeat the following words, thrice spitting on the ground at each repetition:— / "Reseda, cause these maladies to cease: knowest thou, knowest thou, who hath driven these pullets here? Let the roots have neither head nor foot."

   • 1877, “Blanche”, “[Notes and Queries.] Fertilization of Flowers.”, in J[ohn] E[llor] Taylor, editor, Hardwicke’s Science-Gossip: An Illustrated Medium of Interchange and Gossip for Students and Lovers of Nature, volume XIII, London: Hardwicke & Bogue, 192, Piccadilly, →OCLC, page 21:

     A little work on bees which I read some time ago, states that bees collect pollen only on flowers of the same species, in order not to mix the pollen of different flowers together, and I have several times observed this statement as perfectly true during the time when resedas, roses, and geraniums adorned a bed close to a bee-hive. The same bee or humble-bee which had been on a reseda would only visit resedas, another only geraniums, &c.

2. (botany, horticulture, specifically) Mignonette (Reseda odorata).
   • 1757, Philip Miller, “May”, in The Gardeners Kalendar; Directing what Works are Necessary to be Done Every Month in the Kitchen, Fruit, and Pleasure-Gardens, as also in the Conservatory and Nursery. With Accounts I. Of the Particular Seasons for the Propagation of All Sorts of Esculent Plants and Fruits, with the Seasons wherein Each Sort is Proper for the Table. II. Of All Sorts of Trees, Plants, and Flowers, with the Time of Their Flowering in Each Month, 11th edition, London: Printed by Charles Rivington, for John Rivington, at the Bible and Crown, in St. Paul's Church-Yard; and James Rivington and James Fletcher, at the Oxford-Theatre, in Pater-noster Row, →OCLC, page 146:

     About the middle of this month, if the ſeaſon proves favourable, you may plant out your hardy annuals, ſuch as Marvel of Peru, Sweet Sultan, China After or Starwort, Sweet Reſeda called Mignonette d'Egypt, French and African Marigolds, Female Balſamine, Capſicum, Brown Jolly, and ſeveral other ſorts, which, if artfully diſpoſed, will afford an agreeable pleaſure, after the beauty of ſpring is paſt; […]

   • [2003], H. Panda, “Raw Materials: Products of Natural Origin”, in The Complete Technology Book on Herbal Perfumes & Cosmetics, New Delhi: Ajay Kr. Gupta, National Institute of Industrial Research, →ISBN, page 92:

     Reseda or mignonette is grown in the Grasse region [of France]. The tendency for green notes in recent years has given fresh interest to the reseda note. Absolute oil of reseda has an odour recalling that of violet leaves, but with a rather fine 'powdery' background and a suggestion of rose and a little basil.

3. A pale greyish-green colour like the flowers of a reseda plant; mignonette.

   reseda:  

   • 1873 September 26, “[Supplement to the Chemical News. Chemical Notices from Foreign Sources. Reimann’s Färber Zeitung.] No. 31, 1873”, in William Crookes, editor, The Chemical News and Journal of Physical Science. (With which is Incorporated the “Chemical Gazette.”) A Journal of Practical Chemistry in All Its Applications to Pharmacy, Arts, and Manufactures, volume XXVIII, number 722, London: Henry Gillman, Boy Court, Ludgate Hill, E.C., →OCLC, page 172, column 1:

     This number contains a lis of the manufacturers of tinctorial chemicals to whom prizes have been awarded at the Vienna Exhibition. We find no English name in the catalogue. There are receipts for dyeing wool a bright green; for a finish for pack-thread; for a reseda on genappe; a brown on silk; a printing black on cotton yarn; a blue-black on old cotton, velvets, and velveteens; a chamois and rose on old goods with cotton warps, saffranin on a sumach mordant being recommended for the latter; a black on mixed woollen and silk; a dark green on wool; a cheap violet on woollen piece-goods.

Hyponyms

• dyer's rocket
• mignonette (one sense)
• weld

Related terms

• Reseda
• Resedaceae
• resedaceous

Translations

plant of the genus Reseda

• Arabic: بَلِيحَاء f (balīḥāʔ)
• Armenian: հափուկ (hy) (hapʻuk)
• Azerbaijani: əspərək
• Bashkir: резеда́ (rezedá)
• Belarusian: рэзеда (rezjeda)
• Bulgarian: резеда f (rezeda)
• Czech: rýt
• Dutch: reseda (nl) f
• Esperanto: rezedo
• Estonian: reseeda
• Finnish: reseda (fi)
• French: réséda (fr) m
• Galician: reseda f
• Georgian: რეზედა (rezeda)
• German: Reseda (de) f, Wau (de) m
• Hungarian: rezeda (hu)
• Ido: rezedo (io)
• Irish: buí cumhra
• Kazakh: шашақгүл (şaşaqgül)
• Latin: resēda (la) f
• Persian: اسپرک (fa) (esparak)
• Polish: rezeda wonna f
• Romanian: rezedă (ro) f, rozetă (ro) f
• Russian: резеда́ (ru) f (rezedá)
• Serbo-Croatian: резеда
• Sorbian:

  Upper Sorbian: róžat

• Tajik: aсирак (asirak)

Reseda odorata — see mignonette

pale greyish-green colour — see also mignonette

See also

• Appendix:Colors

Adjective

reseda (not comparable)

1. Having a pale greyish-green colour like the flowers of a reseda plant; mignonette.
   • 1876 September, M. Hommey, “6. Experiments upon the Uses of Aniline Black, by Vanadium, in Dyeing Woollen and Mixed Tissues”, in Charles O'Neill, editor, The Textile Colourist: A Monthly Journal of Bleaching, Printing, Dyeing, and Finishing Textile Fabrics, and the Manufacture and Application of Colouring Matters, volume II, number 9, Manchester: Palmer and Howe, 1, 3, & 5, Bond Street; London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co.; Glasgow: Porteus Bros.; Bradford: Thomas Brear; New York, N.Y.: John Wiley and Son, →OCLC, page 150:

     By mixing a weaker bath than the one indicated the cotton dyes up a dark green, and the wool acquires a dull and weak reseda shade.

   • 1877 March 28, “The Boudoir. Spring Novelties.”, in The Bazaar, the Exchange and Mart, and Journal of the Household, volume XVI, London: [s.n.] 32, Wellington-Street, Strand, W.C., →OCLC, pages 198–199:

     Sateens a 1s. 4½d., 32in. wide, will be very useful, and always look nice, whether as whole or part dresses. There is one of French grey that has a most satin like surface, and another of reseda shade, which is again likely to have a run as a fashionable colour.

Translations

having a pale greyish-green colour — see also mignonette

Further reading

• reseda green on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• reseda (plant) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• reseda (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Red Sea, Sereda, adrees, erased, seared

Dutch

Etymology

From Latin resēda. Attested since 1544.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

reseda f (plural reseda's, diminutive resedaatje n)

1. A reseda, a plant of the family Resedaceae, particularly those of the genus Reseda

Derived terms

• kleine reseda
• tuinreseda
• wilde reseda
• witte reseda

Further reading

• reseda on the Dutch Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^nl

Finnish

Etymology

From translingual Reseda.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈresedɑ/, [ˈre̞s̠e̞dɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -esedɑ
• Syllabification^(key): re‧se‧da

Noun

reseda

1. reseda (plant of the genus Reseda)
2. (in the plural) the genus Reseda.

Declension

Inflection of reseda (Kotus type 13/katiska, no gradation)
nominative		reseda	resedat
genitive		resedan	resedoiden resedoitten resedojen
partitive		resedaa	resedoita resedoja
illative		resedaan	resedoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		reseda	resedat
accusative	nom.	reseda	resedat
	gen.	resedan
genitive		resedan	resedoiden resedoitten resedojen resedainrare
partitive		resedaa	resedoita resedoja
inessive		resedassa	resedoissa
elative		resedasta	resedoista
illative		resedaan	resedoihin
adessive		resedalla	resedoilla
ablative		resedalta	resedoilta
allative		resedalle	resedoille
essive		resedana	resedoina
translative		resedaksi	resedoiksi
abessive		resedatta	resedoitta
instructive		—	resedoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of reseda (Kotus type 13/katiska, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative resedani resedani accusative nom. resedani resedani gen. resedani genitive resedani resedoideni resedoitteni resedojeni resedainirare partitive resedaani resedoitani resedojani inessive resedassani resedoissani elative resedastani resedoistani illative resedaani resedoihini adessive resedallani resedoillani ablative resedaltani resedoiltani allative resedalleni resedoilleni essive resedanani resedoinani translative resedakseni resedoikseni abessive resedattani resedoittani instructive — — comitative — resedoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative resedasi resedasi accusative nom. resedasi resedasi gen. resedasi genitive resedasi resedoidesi resedoittesi resedojesi resedaisirare partitive resedaasi resedoitasi resedojasi inessive resedassasi resedoissasi elative resedastasi resedoistasi illative resedaasi resedoihisi adessive resedallasi resedoillasi ablative resedaltasi resedoiltasi allative resedallesi resedoillesi essive resedanasi resedoinasi translative resedaksesi resedoiksesi abessive resedattasi resedoittasi instructive — — comitative — resedoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative resedamme resedamme accusative nom. resedamme resedamme gen. resedamme genitive resedamme resedoidemme resedoittemme resedojemme resedaimmerare partitive resedaamme resedoitamme resedojamme inessive resedassamme resedoissamme elative resedastamme resedoistamme illative resedaamme resedoihimme adessive resedallamme resedoillamme ablative resedaltamme resedoiltamme allative resedallemme resedoillemme essive resedanamme resedoinamme translative resedaksemme resedoiksemme abessive resedattamme resedoittamme instructive — — comitative — resedoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative resedanne resedanne accusative nom. resedanne resedanne gen. resedanne genitive resedanne resedoidenne resedoittenne resedojenne resedainnerare partitive resedaanne resedoitanne resedojanne inessive resedassanne resedoissanne elative resedastanne resedoistanne illative resedaanne resedoihinne adessive resedallanne resedoillanne ablative resedaltanne resedoiltanne allative resedallenne resedoillenne essive resedananne resedoinanne translative resedaksenne resedoiksenne abessive resedattanne resedoittanne instructive — — comitative — resedoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative resedansa resedansa accusative nom. resedansa resedansa gen. resedansa genitive resedansa resedoidensa resedoittensa resedojensa resedainsarare partitive resedaansa resedoitaan resedojaan resedoitansa resedojansa inessive resedassaan resedassansa resedoissaan resedoissansa elative resedastaan resedastansa resedoistaan resedoistansa illative resedaansa resedoihinsa adessive resedallaan resedallansa resedoillaan resedoillansa ablative resedaltaan resedaltansa resedoiltaan resedoiltansa allative resedalleen resedallensa resedoilleen resedoillensa essive resedanaan resedanansa resedoinaan resedoinansa translative resedakseen resedaksensa resedoikseen resedoiksensa abessive resedattaan resedattansa resedoittaan resedoittansa instructive — — comitative — resedoineen resedoinensa

Derived terms

compounds

• tuoksureseda
• värireseda

 

Further reading

• “reseda”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-03

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /reˈzɛ.da/
• Rhymes: -ɛda
• Hyphenation: re‧sè‧da

Noun

reseda

1. reseda

Anagrams

• esedra, sedare, sederà

Latin

Etymology

According to Pliny, from resēdō (“I soothe”).

Noun

resēda f (genitive resēdae); first declension

1. mignonette

Declension

First-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	resēda	resēdae
Genitive	resēdae	resēdārum
Dative	resēdae	resēdīs
Accusative	resēdam	resēdās
Ablative	resēdā	resēdīs
Vocative	resēda	resēdae

References

• “reseda”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• reseda in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.