Etymology Map
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Godown

4 stages from Tamil to English.

Today it means A warehouse or storeroom, a term still used in parts of South and East Asia.

Where does the word "godown" come from? It comes from Tamil kidangu, passing through Malay and Portuguese before entering English (late 1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 4
kidangu
Tamil · medieval
"a storeroom, warehouse"
meant 'a place where goods lie', a storeroom
2
Stage 2 of 4
gudang
Malay · medieval
"a warehouse"
adopted the South Indian word for a warehouse
3
Stage 3 of 4
gudão
Portuguese · 1552
"a warehouse"
Portuguese traders in Asia recorded the word
4
Stage 4 of 4
godown
English · late 1500s
"a warehouse or storeroom, especially in South and East Asia"
British East India Company officers adopted the word
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