late 14c., earlier rosmarine (c.1300), from Latin rosmarinus, literally "dew of the sea" (compare French romarin), from ros "dew" + marinus (see marine, adj.). Perhaps so called because it grew near coasts. Form altered in English by influence of rose and Mary.Latin ros is from PIE *ers- "to be wet" (cognates: Lithuanian rasa, Old Church Slavonic rosa "dew," Sanskrit rasah "sap, juice, fluid, essence," Hittite arszi "flows," and perhaps also Rha, Scythian name of the River Volga (see rhubarb)).