Where does “camphor” come from?

Camphor comes from Old French camphore, a word of uncertain ultimate origin whose earliest sense remains unknown.

camphor (English): A white transparent waxy crystalline isoprenoid...

Definitions

  1. A white transparent waxy crystalline isoprenoid...

Ancestry of “camphor”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchchampore
2Old Frenchcamphore
3Medieval Latincamphora
4Ancient Greekκαμφορά
5Arabicكَافُور
6Malaykapurlime
7Pahlavi𐭪𐭠𐭯𐭥𐭫
8Sanskritकर्पूरcamphor
9Palikappūracamphor
10Old Malaykapur
11Proto-Malayic*kapur
12Proto-Austronesianqapuʀlime, calcium

Words derived from “camphor

Every word from Proto-Austronesian qapuʀEvery word from Proto-Malayic *kapurEvery word from Old Malay kapur