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Betel

3 stages from Malayalam to English.

Today it means the leaf of a plant chewed with areca nut as a mild stimulant in parts of Asia
1
Stage 1 of 3
vettila
Malayalam · medieval
"betel leaf"
the name for the leaf chewed with areca nut
2
Stage 2 of 3
betel
Portuguese · 1500s-1600s
"betel leaf"
adopted through Portuguese trade on the Malabar coast
3
Stage 3 of 3
betel
English · 1600s
"a leaf chewed as a mild stimulant"
adopted through trade contact with South Asia
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