patchouli

Where does the word "patchouli" come from? It comes from Tamil pachchai ilai, and was adopted directly into English (1845).

Patchouli’s story begins in Tamil: pachchai ilai meant “green leaf; the patchouli plant.” Literally 'green leaf', the local name for the aromatic plant. It reached English by 1845 as patchouli. Tamil 'green leaf'; Indian shawls were packed with patchouli leaves to deter moths. Today, patchouli means a bushy herb of the mint family, and the heavy, musky essential oil made from its leaves.

1. Stage 1 · Tamil · medieval pachchai ilai "green leaf; the patchouli plant", literally 'green leaf', the local name for the aromatic plant.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1845 patchouli "an aromatic plant and its heavy, musky oil", Tamil 'green leaf'; Indian shawls were packed with patchouli leaves to deter moths.