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Argan

3 stages from Berber to English.

Today it means Argan oil, pressed from the kernels of the Moroccan argan tree, used in cooking and cosmetics.

Where does the word "argan" come from? It comes from Berber argan, passing through French before entering English (2000s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
argan
Berber · medieval
"the argan tree"
named by Shilha-speaking Berbers in the tree's native southwestern Morocco
2
Stage 2 of 3
argan
French · 1900s
"the argan tree and its oil"
popularized internationally through French Morocco's trade and cosmetics industry
3
Stage 3 of 3
argan
English · 2000s
"a prized Moroccan oil pressed from argan tree kernels"
entered global beauty and cooking vocabulary as argan oil products spread worldwide
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