Where does “Penang” come from?

Penang comes from Malay pinang, a word for the areca palm and its nut, also preserved in the place name Pulau Pinang meaning areca palm island.

Ancestry of “Penang”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Malaypinangbetelnut
2MalayPulau PinangPenang Island
3Malaypulauisland; to ostracize

Words derived from “Penang”

Every word from Malay pulau →Every word from Malay Pulau Pinang →Every word from Malay pinang →