neem

Where does the word "neem" come from? It comes from Sanskrit nimba, passing through Hindi before entering English (19th-20th c.).

Neem’s story begins in Sanskrit: nimba meant “the neem tree.” Named the bitter, medicinal tree. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Hindi as nim. The everyday name for the tree. It reached English by 19th-20th c. as neem. Used for centuries in India as a toothbrush twig and natural pesticide. Today, neem means a fast-growing tropical tree native to South Asia, valued for its medicinal, pesticidal, and cosmetic uses.

1. Stage 1 · Sanskrit · ancient nimba "the neem tree", named the bitter, medicinal tree.
2. Stage 2 · Hindi · medieval nim "neem tree", the everyday name for the tree.
3. Stage 3 · English · 19th-20th c. neem "a fast-growing tree valued for its medicinal and pesticidal properties", used for centuries in India as a toothbrush twig and natural pesticide.