The generic name may come from Latin , meaning 'box', presumably alluding to the pods;Oxford English Dictionary, 1st edition, 1888, s.v.Online Etymology Dictionary, s.v. or possibly from the Greek word , 'to gulp'. The name "pepper" comes from the similarity of piquance (spiciness or "heat") of the flavor to that of black pepper, Piper nigrum, although there is no botanical relationship with it or with Sichuan pepper. The original term, chilli (now chile in Mexico) came from the Nahuatl word chīlli, denoting a larger Capsicum variety cultivated at least since 3000 BC, as evidenced by remains found in pottery from Puebla and Oaxaca.Gil-Jurado, A. T., Il senso del chile e del piccante: dalla traduzione culturale alla rappresentazione visiva in (G. Manetti, ed.), Semiofood: Communication and Culture of Meal, Centro Scientifico Editore, Torino, Italy, 2006:34–58 Different varieties were cultivated in South America, where they are known as ajíes (singular ají), from the Quechua term for Capsicum.
