mango

Where does the word "mango" come from? It comes from Tamil/Malayalam mankay, passing through Portuguese before entering English (1600s).

Mango’s story begins in Tamil/Malayalam: mankay meant “mango fruit.” Man (mango tree) plus kay (fruit). By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Portuguese as manga. Portuguese traders on the Malabar coast adapted Malayalam 'manga'. It reached English by 1600s as mango. Spread through Portuguese and Dutch trade networks. Today, mango means a sweet tropical fruit with orange flesh and a large flat seed.

1. Stage 1 · Tamil/Malayalam · ancient mankay "mango fruit", man (mango tree) plus kay (fruit).
2. Stage 2 · Portuguese · 1500s manga "mango fruit", Portuguese traders on the Malabar coast adapted Malayalam 'manga'.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1600s mango "the tropical mango fruit", spread through Portuguese and Dutch trade networks.