Etymology Map
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Jackfruit

3 stages from Malayalam to English.

Today it means a very large tropical fruit of the jack tree

Where does the word "jackfruit" come from? It comes from Malayalam chakka, passing through Portuguese before entering English (1600s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
chakka
Malayalam · medieval
"jackfruit"
the tree is native to the Western Ghats of southwest India; Kerala made it its official state fruit in 2018
2
Stage 2 of 3
jaca
Portuguese · 1500s
"jackfruit"
Garcia de Orta's Colóquios dos Simples, printed in Goa in 1563, describes the jaca among the plants of India
3
Stage 3 of 3
jackfruit
English · 1600s
"large tropical fruit"
English 'jack' from Portuguese, with 'fruit' added; its shredded unripe flesh became a popular meat substitute in the 2010s
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Read the full story

Jackfruit’s story begins in Malayalam: chakka meant “jackfruit.” The tree is native to the Western Ghats of southwest India; Kerala made it its official state fruit in 2018. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Portuguese as jaca. Garcia de Orta's Colóquios dos Simples, printed in Goa in 1563, describes the jaca among the plants of India. It reached English by 1600s as jackfruit. English 'jack' from Portuguese, with 'fruit' added; its shredded unripe flesh became a popular meat substitute in the 2010s. Today, jackfruit means a very large tropical fruit of the jack tree.