Is "cilantro" a spanish word?

Question

My friend pronounces the herb cilantro as 'chil-an-tro. But I believe the word is spanish and the c should have an s sound like "sil-an-tro".

Is he right; am I right, or is neither of us right?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Cilantro is spanish and means coriander, which is a herb.

Thank you--I knew that cilantro comes from the coriander plant, but not that it was spanish. - mtmonadnock, Jan 22, 2012

Thanks K, I had no idea it was coriander. I hate the taste which is unfortunate because I love Mexican food which uses it all the time. - Yeser007, Jan 22, 2012

Answer 2

It looks Italian, and maybe it is...

However, in Spanish-speaking countries it is definitely pronounced with an "s" sound, just as it commonly is in English.