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Where does the word "teak" come from? It comes from Malayalam tekka, passing through Portuguese before entering English (1600s-1700s).
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Where does the word "teak" come from? It comes from Malayalam tekka, passing through Portuguese before entering English (1600s-1700s).
Teak’s story begins in Malayalam: tekka meant “teak tree.” The name of the durable tropical hardwood tree. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Portuguese as teca. From Malayalam 'tēkku'. It reached English by 1600s-1700s as teak. British shipbuilders prized teak for warships in the 1800s. Today, teak means a durable, tropical hardwood used in furniture and shipbuilding.
- Stage 1 · Malayalam · medieval tekka "teak tree", the name of the durable tropical hardwood tree.
- Stage 2 · Portuguese · 1500s teca "teak wood", from Malayalam 'tēkku'.
- Stage 3 · English · 1600s-1700s teak "a durable tropical hardwood", British shipbuilders prized teak for warships in the 1800s.