Maize was given its botanical name by Carl von Linné in the eighteenth century: Zea mays. Zea is derived from an Ancient Greek word for spelt; mays is the Indian – or rather Haitian – name for maize, and means “Preserver of Life”.
Maize was given its botanical name by Carl von Linné in the eighteenth century: Zea mays. Zea is derived from an Ancient Greek word for spelt; mays is the Indian – or rather Haitian – name for maize, and means “Preserver of Life”.