# What other words are etymologically related to "thistle"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-are-etymologically-related-to-thistle/604400>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 29, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-are-etymologically-related-to-thistle/604400 "2011-11-29T01:39:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-are-etymologically-related-to-thistle/604400/1 "2011-11-29T01:39:36Z")

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Thread title pretty much says it all. My google-fu is weak today.

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-are-etymologically-related-to-thistle/604400/2 "2011-11-29T01:47:58Z")

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That’ll ?

[Merriam-Webster](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thistle) says

> [@](#):
>
> Middle English thistel, from Old English; akin to Old High German _distill_ thistle

Whether that’s related to our _distil_ I don’t know.

Its Latin name Carduus [apparently supplied us with Chardonnay](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thistle#Place_names), if that’s any help.

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**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-are-etymologically-related-to-thistle/604400/3 "2011-11-29T02:09:01Z")

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Well, there’s another plant called “teasel” or “teazle” which is a different plant, but also prickly. I’d guess there’s an etymological connection. And you’ve got “thowthistle”, which is a herb.

“Distill” is unrelated. It comes from the Latin _destillare_, to drip down or to trickle down, which in turn comes from _stillare_ to drop.

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**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-are-etymologically-related-to-thistle/604400/4 "2011-11-29T04:29:11Z")

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Any botanical/zoological name involving “dissel”, which is the German cognate of “thistle”, will probably qualify.

[Skotse dissel](http://luirig.altervista.org/photos-int/s/skotse_dissel_cirsium_vulgare.htm) (_Cirsium vulgare_)

[Waterdissel](http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantqrs/senecioglast.htm) (_Senecio giantifolius_)

[Distelfink](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=distelfink&allowed_in_frame=0), a Pennsylvania Dutch bird design from the German bird name meaning “thistle-finch”.

> [@UDS](#):
>
> Well, there’s another plant called “teasel” or “teazle” which is a different plant, but also prickly. I’d guess there’s an etymological connection.

Actually, Online Etymology Dictionary says that [“teasel” is from Old English _tæsan_ “to pluck”](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=teasel) while [“thistle” is from ProtoGermanic \*_thikhstula_ of unknown origin](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=thistle&searchmode=none).

So even though a teasel is a type of thistle and its name sounds rather like “thistle”, it does not appear to be cognate with “thistle”. Whodathunkit.

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**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-are-etymologically-related-to-thistle/604400/5 "2011-11-29T04:34:27Z")

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All I’m getting is that ‘thistle’ is related to very similar words meaning the same thing in Norse, Danish, German (‘distel’, unrelated to Latinate ‘distill’). No cognates.

Teasel, a different plant with prickly seed heads, Dipsacus spp., is another old germanic word but not related to ‘thistle’. Oldest known cognate is a verb, Old English ‘taesan’, to pluck, disentangle, comb. Teasel is an Old World meadow plant which has naturalized in parts of the U.S. My grandmother used to pick it for flower arrangements in the fall.

Teasel was used to raise the nap on linen and woolen cloth. Word is related to English tease, tousle, tussle.

I can waste a lot of time doing this sort of thing.