Where does “orange” come from?
orange (Middle Dutch) comes from Old French orenge, from Old Occitan auranja, from Arabic نَارَنْج, from Persian نارنگ, from Sanskrit नारङ्ग, from Dravidian dra, from Proto-Dravidian *cīntu — date palm.
Ancestry of “orange”, step by step
orange traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French orenge
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | orenge | orange |
| 2 | Old Occitan | auranja | orange |
| 3 | Arabic | نَارَنْج | bitter orange |
| 4 | Persian | نارنگ | bitter orange |
| 5 | Sanskrit | नारङ्ग | the orange-tree; the juice of the pepper plant;... |
| 6 | Dravidian | dra | — |
| 7 | Proto-Dravidian | *cīntu | date palm |
via Old French arange
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | arange | — |