dal

Where does the word "dal" come from? It comes from Sanskrit dala, passing through Hindi before entering English (1900s).

Dal’s story begins in Sanskrit: dala meant “split, divided.” Meaning "split", describing split pulses. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Hindi as dal. Applied to split lentils and the dishes made from them. It reached English by 1900s as dal. Sanskrit 'to split', since the lentils are split pulses; mentioned as early as 1698 by the East India Company surgeon John Fryer. Today, dal means a dish of dried, split pulses such as lentils, cooked with spices.

1. Stage 1 · Sanskrit · ancient dala "split, divided", meaning "split", describing split pulses.
2. Stage 2 · Hindi · medieval dal "split lentils; a lentil dish", applied to split lentils and the dishes made from them.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1900s dal "a dish of cooked, spiced lentils", Sanskrit 'to split', since the lentils are split pulses; mentioned as early as 1698 by the East India Company surgeon John Fryer.