Herb. Forms: 4 baldemoin, 5 -moyn, 6 baldmoyne, 7 baldimonie, -emony, baudmoney, 8 baldmonie, 6– baldmoney. [Etymol. unknown; the early forms point to a Fr. *baudemoin(e; with the termination cf. agrimony, F. aigremoine; but this hardly answers to L. valde bona, a plant mentioned in the Great Herbal: see Prior, Names of Plants. The modern explanation Balder’s money is a baseless conjecture.]
† 1. Gentian, of various species. Obs.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 99. Loke, how a seke man for his hele Taketh baldemoin with canele.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 22/1. Baldemoyn (v.r. baldmony, baldemonye), Genciana.
1597. Gerard, Herbal, II. c. § 4 (1633), 352. Gentian is named in English Felwoort Gentian; Bitterwoort; Baldmoyne, and Baldmoney.
1863. Miss Yonge, Chr. Names, II. ii. 209.
2. An umbelliferous plant (Meum athamanticum), with yellowish flowers, the root of which is eaten in the Scottish Highlands as a carminative.
1598. Florio, Meo … the herbe spignell, mew, beare-woort or baldmoney.
1690. Ray, Synop. Stirp., Spignel or Mew. In Westmorland … it is known to all the Country People by the name of Bald-Money, or (as they pronounce it) Bawd-Money.
1861. Miss Pratt, Flower. Pl., III. 49. Mew or Bald-money … is pleasantly and powerfully aromatic.
