Where does “tobacco” come from?
Tobacco comes from Spanish tabaco, derived from Arabic ṭabāq, a word of uncertain ultimate origin referring to the plant or its use.
tobacco (English): Any plant of the genus "Nicotiana"; Leaves of...
Definitions
- Any plant of the genus "Nicotiana"; Leaves of...
Ancestry of “tobacco”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | tabaco | tobacco |
| 2 | Ottoman Turkish | طباق | dish, plate, any vessel for holding food, especially a round and shallow one, with a knobbed cover |
| 3 | Arabic | طَبَق | plate |
| 4 | Middle Persian | tʾp̄k' | frying pan |
| 5 | Proto-Iranian | tāpaka- | heater {{non-gloss definition|or}} baking place... |
| 6 | Proto-Iranian | tap- | to warm up, heat; flat |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | tep- | to be warm, be hot |