'cardamom' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'cardamomum', which came from Greek 'kardamōmon', where 'kardamon' meant 'cress' and 'amōmon' referred to a kind of Indian spice.

'cardamomum' in Latin was borrowed from Greek 'kardamōmon', and eventually became the modern English word 'cardamom'.

Initially, it referred to a specific aromatic plant or its seeds, and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage as a spice.