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Guaiacum

3 stages from Taino to English.

Today it means a very hard, resinous tropical tree, also known as lignum vitae, historically valued for its medicinal resin

Where does the word "guaiacum" come from? It comes from Taino guayacán, passing through Spanish before entering English (1530s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
guayacán
Taino · pre-1500s
"a hard, resinous tree"
named the hard, resinous tree known for its medicinal properties
2
Stage 2 of 3
guayaco
Spanish · 1520s
"a medicinal tree resin"
adopted by Spanish colonists, who prized the wood's resin as a treatment for disease
3
Stage 3 of 3
guaiacum
English · 1530s
"a resinous tropical hardwood tree, also called lignum vitae"
latinized and borrowed into English, among the very first words of American indigenous origin recorded in English
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