The word hyacinth was initially borrowed in the thirteenth century from the Old French word jacinth, which originates from Latin hyacinthus, still denoting the flower. The English term was originally spelt with a j at the start as well, but later altered to reflect its classical origins. Hyacinthus can be traced back to the Ancient Greek word hyakinthos, used to describe a bluish-purplish gem (likely sapphire). It was also the name of a type of purple flower, which is how we arrived at the current definition; hyakinthos is ultimately from a non-IE Pre-Greek language. Hyacinthos was also a lover of Apollo in Greek mythology who was killed by Zephyrus, the jealous god of the west wind. The legend tells that Apollo was devastated and wished to commemorate Hyacinthos in some way, so he formed the flower out of his blood.
