alfalfa

See also: Alfalfa

English

Etymology

PIE word
*h₁éḱwos

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₁eḱ-

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”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ælˈfælfə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

alfalfa (countable and uncountable, plural alfalfas)

2. (uncountable) A plant, principally of Medicago sativa, grown as a pasture crop.

   Synonym: (British) lucerne

   • 1937, John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men‎^[1], New York: Covici Friede, page 100:

     “No place for rabbits now, but I could easy build a few hutches and you could feed alfalfa to the rabbits.”

3. (countable) A type or breed of this plant.

Derived terms

• Alfalfa
• alfalfa butterfly
• alfalfa caterpillar
• Alfalfa County
• alfalfa weevil

 

Descendants

• → Irish: alfalfa
• → Welsh: alffalffa

Translations

Medicago sativa

• Abaza: хмачвыкӏ (xmaćʷəkʼ)
• Arabic: فَصْفَص m (faṣfaṣ)
• Aramaic:

  Classical Syriac: ܐܰܣܦܷܣܬܳܐ f (ʾaspestā)

  Jewish Aramaic: אַסְפַּסְתָּא f (ʾaspastā)

• Armenian: առվույտ (hy) (aṙvuyt), ասպաստ (hy) (aspast)
• Bulgarian: люцерна (bg) (ljucerna)
• Catalan: alfals (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 苜蓿 (zh) (mùxu), 紫花苜蓿 (zǐhuā mùxu)

• Czech: vojtěška f
• Dutch: luzerne (nl)
• Esperanto: luzerno
• Finnish: sinimailanen (fi), alfalfa (fi)
• French: luzerne (fr) f
• Georgian: იონჯა (ionǯa), ალავერდი (ka) (alaverdi) (dialectal)
• German: Luzerne (de) f, Alfalfa (de) f
• Hebrew: אספסת (he) f (aspéset)
• Hungarian: lucerna (hu)
• Irish: alfalfa m4
• Italian: erba medica f
• Japanese: アルファルファ (arufarufa), ルーサン (rūsan), ムラサキウマゴヤシ (murasaki uma-goyashi), モクシュク (mokushuku)
• Kabardian: тхьэкӏищ лӏэужьыгъуэ (tḥɛkʼiś lˢʼɛwuźəğʷɛ)
• Kalmyk: царһс (tsarğs)
• Lakota: waȟpé pȟeží
• Latin: mēdica (la) f
• Macedonian: лу́церка f (lúcerka)
• Maltese: please add this translation if you can
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: таримал царгас (tarimal cargas)

• Navajo: tłʼoh waaʼí
• Norman: lûzèrne f (Jersey)
• Ottoman Turkish: یونجه (yonca), فصفصه (fisfisa), سپست (sipist)
• Persian: یونجه (fa), اسپست (fa) (espest, aspest)
• Plautdietsch: Alfalfa n
• Polish: lucerna (pl) f
• Portuguese: alfafa (pt) f
• Romanian: lucernă (ro) f
• Russian: люце́рна (ru) f (ljucérna)
• Serbo-Croatian: lucerna (sh) f, lucerka (sh) f, alfalfa f
• Slovak: lucerna f, alfalfa f
• Slovene: lucerna f
• Sorbian:

  Upper Sorbian: módra šlinčina f, lucerna f

• Spanish: alfalfa (es) f, mielga (es) f
• Swedish: blålusern c
• Tagalog: alpapa
• Turkish: yonca (tr)
• Uyghur: بېدە (bëde)
• Venetan: spagna (vec) f
• Welsh: alffalffa m
• Yiddish: לוצערן (lutsern)

Further reading

• alfalfa on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Medicago sativa on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Medicago sativa on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
• alfalfa at USDA Plants database
• alfalfa at Integrated Taxonomic Information System.

Finnish

Etymology

From Spanish alfalfa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑlfɑlfɑ/, [ˈɑ̝lfɑ̝lfɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑlfɑlfɑ
• Hyphenation^(key): al‧fal‧fa

Noun

alfalfa

1. alfalfa

Declension

Inflection of alfalfa (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		alfalfa	alfalfat
genitive		alfalfan	alfalfojen
partitive		alfalfaa	alfalfoja
illative		alfalfaan	alfalfoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		alfalfa	alfalfat
accusative	nom.	alfalfa	alfalfat
	gen.	alfalfan
genitive		alfalfan	alfalfojen alfalfain rare
partitive		alfalfaa	alfalfoja
inessive		alfalfassa	alfalfoissa
elative		alfalfasta	alfalfoista
illative		alfalfaan	alfalfoihin
adessive		alfalfalla	alfalfoilla
ablative		alfalfalta	alfalfoilta
allative		alfalfalle	alfalfoille
essive		alfalfana	alfalfoina
translative		alfalfaksi	alfalfoiksi
abessive		alfalfatta	alfalfoitta
instructive		—	alfalfoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of alfalfa (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative alfalfani alfalfani accusative nom. alfalfani alfalfani gen. alfalfani genitive alfalfani alfalfojeni alfalfaini rare partitive alfalfaani alfalfojani inessive alfalfassani alfalfoissani elative alfalfastani alfalfoistani illative alfalfaani alfalfoihini adessive alfalfallani alfalfoillani ablative alfalfaltani alfalfoiltani allative alfalfalleni alfalfoilleni essive alfalfanani alfalfoinani translative alfalfakseni alfalfoikseni abessive alfalfattani alfalfoittani instructive — — comitative — alfalfoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative alfalfasi alfalfasi accusative nom. alfalfasi alfalfasi gen. alfalfasi genitive alfalfasi alfalfojesi alfalfaisi rare partitive alfalfaasi alfalfojasi inessive alfalfassasi alfalfoissasi elative alfalfastasi alfalfoistasi illative alfalfaasi alfalfoihisi adessive alfalfallasi alfalfoillasi ablative alfalfaltasi alfalfoiltasi allative alfalfallesi alfalfoillesi essive alfalfanasi alfalfoinasi translative alfalfaksesi alfalfoiksesi abessive alfalfattasi alfalfoittasi instructive — — comitative — alfalfoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative alfalfamme alfalfamme accusative nom. alfalfamme alfalfamme gen. alfalfamme genitive alfalfamme alfalfojemme alfalfaimme rare partitive alfalfaamme alfalfojamme inessive alfalfassamme alfalfoissamme elative alfalfastamme alfalfoistamme illative alfalfaamme alfalfoihimme adessive alfalfallamme alfalfoillamme ablative alfalfaltamme alfalfoiltamme allative alfalfallemme alfalfoillemme essive alfalfanamme alfalfoinamme translative alfalfaksemme alfalfoiksemme abessive alfalfattamme alfalfoittamme instructive — — comitative — alfalfoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative alfalfanne alfalfanne accusative nom. alfalfanne alfalfanne gen. alfalfanne genitive alfalfanne alfalfojenne alfalfainne rare partitive alfalfaanne alfalfojanne inessive alfalfassanne alfalfoissanne elative alfalfastanne alfalfoistanne illative alfalfaanne alfalfoihinne adessive alfalfallanne alfalfoillanne ablative alfalfaltanne alfalfoiltanne allative alfalfallenne alfalfoillenne essive alfalfananne alfalfoinanne translative alfalfaksenne alfalfoiksenne abessive alfalfattanne alfalfoittanne instructive — — comitative — alfalfoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative alfalfansa alfalfansa accusative nom. alfalfansa alfalfansa gen. alfalfansa genitive alfalfansa alfalfojensa alfalfainsa rare partitive alfalfaansa alfalfojaan alfalfojansa inessive alfalfassaan alfalfassansa alfalfoissaan alfalfoissansa elative alfalfastaan alfalfastansa alfalfoistaan alfalfoistansa illative alfalfaansa alfalfoihinsa adessive alfalfallaan alfalfallansa alfalfoillaan alfalfoillansa ablative alfalfaltaan alfalfaltansa alfalfoiltaan alfalfoiltansa allative alfalfalleen alfalfallensa alfalfoilleen alfalfoillensa essive alfalfanaan alfalfanansa alfalfoinaan alfalfoinansa translative alfalfakseen alfalfaksensa alfalfoikseen alfalfoiksensa abessive alfalfattaan alfalfattansa alfalfoittaan alfalfoittansa instructive — — comitative — alfalfoineen alfalfoinensa

Synonyms

• sinimailanen

Further reading

• “alfalfa”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

Irish

Etymology

Borrowed from English alfalfa, from Spanish alfalfa.

Noun

alfalfa m (genitive singular alfalfa)

1. alfalfa, lucerne (Medicago sativa)

Declension

Declension of alfalfa (fourth declension, no plural)

bare forms case singular nominative alfalfa vocative a alfalfa genitive alfalfa dative alfalfa forms with the definite article case singular nominative an t-alfalfa genitive an alfalfa dative leis an alfalfa don alfalfa

Mutation

Mutated forms of alfalfa

radical	eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
alfalfa	n-alfalfa	halfalfa	t-alfalfa

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “alfalfa”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Italian

Etymology

From Spanish alfalfa, from Arabic الْفَصْفَصَة (al-faṣfaṣa).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /alˈfal.fa/
• Rhymes: -alfa
• Hyphenation: al‧fàl‧fa

Noun

alfalfa f (uncountable)

1. lucerne, alfalfa (Medicago sativa)

   Synonyms: erba medica, erba Spagna

Old Galician-Portuguese

Alternative forms

• alfarfa

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₁eḱ-

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 Galician-Portuguese alfalfa

Borrowed from Arabic الْفَصْفَصَة (al-faṣfaṣa). Cognate with Old Spanish alfalfez.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /alˈfalfa/
• Rhymes: -alfa
• Hyphenation: al‧fal‧fa

Noun

alfalfa f (plural alfalfas)

1. alfalfa (Medicago sativa)
   • [Reinado de Affonso III] (in Latin), 1253 December 26; republished as Portugaliae Monumenta Historica, volume I, Lisbon: Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, 1856, page 195: “Et melior adiual de alfarfa ualeat quatuor denarios. Et melior solla de alfarfa ualeat tres denarios.”
   • 1335, [Foros de Beja]; republished as Collecção de ineditos de historia portugueza, volume V, Lisbon: Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, 1790, page 534:

     Da carrerga de sparto, e de baraços dalfalfa, e de soltas quatro dinheiros do maravide da boa moeda, que som per esta moeda dous mil dinheiros, que som oyto libras e sseys soldos e oito dinheiros, que som dous reaes de tres meia e biinte seis soldos e oito dinheiros.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Descendants

• Galician: alfalfa, alforfa
• Portuguese: alfafa

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /alˈfalfa/ [alˈfal.fa]
• Rhymes: -alfa
• Syllabification: al‧fal‧fa

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₁eḱ-

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 alfalfa

Inherited from Old Spanish alfalfez, from Arabic الْفَصْفَصَة (al-faṣfaṣa).

Alternative forms

• alfalfez (Argentina)

Noun

alfalfa f (plural alfalfas)

1. alfalfa

Derived terms

• agua de alfalfa
• alfalfar

 

Descendants

• → English: alfalfa
  • → Irish: alfalfa
  • → Welsh: alffalffa
• → Italian: alfalfa

Etymology 2

Verb

alfalfa

1. inflection of alfalfar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “alfalfa”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10