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 qapuʀ →Every word from Proto-Malayic *kapur →Every word from Old Malay kapur →