Wyrtian

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Of a plant, to send down roots into the soil and begin to take hold and grow
2. To put down roots, as a plant does when it becomes established in the ground
3. Describing the act of a plant anchoring itself through roots so that it can draw nourishment from the earth

Etymology: Wyrtian is an Old English verb, meaning "to go to a place, to visit," in the sense of making one's way toward somewhere. It is a relative of the Old English noun "wyrt," meaning "plant" or "herb," and the word survives in modern English only through its derivatives, as "wort" in names like "St. John's wort" and "mangelwurzel." Its exact semantic path from "root or plant" to "go out to" is uncertain, so it is better to treat that connection as a plausible rather than established development.