Agnes deLanvallei
March 2005
Many an argument has turned out to be due to people using language differently. Definitions address those differences.
culinary herb = a spice (broad sense)
herb:
1) in modern use is i) a medicinal plant or ii)
a plant used to flavor or scent food. Sometimes differentiated from spices
using herbs for leaves used in food and/or flavors and scents from temperate
plants while spices use other plant parts and/or are from tropical plants;
2) in modern botany its a nonwoody plant;
3) in a lot of Medieval usages, herb simply meant a plant.
herbal = a book about herbs; usually a book of medicinal uses of plants
medicinal herb = a plant used as medicine
noxious weed = a legal category making a plant subject to strict control measures
pot herb = a green vegetable (like modern cooked spinach);
spice = plant parts used for their scent and flavor. Sometimes differentiated from herbs by using herbs for leaves used in food or scents and flavors from temperate plants while spices use plant parts other than leaves and/or are from tropical plants
weed = plant in the wrong place; a plant that interferes with things people want to do [ more information]
wort = plant (in Anglo-Saxon and Middle English)
Sources:
Guralnik, David B. and Joseph H. Friend, editors. 1962. Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language College Edition The World Publishing Company, New York [because compact modern dictionaries don't have space for etymology]
Simpson, Beryl B. and M. Ogorzaly (2001) Economic Botany [ bibliography page]