Where does “தெங்கங்காய்” come from?

தெங்கங்காய் (Tamil) comes from Tamil தெங்கு, from Japanese 天狗, from Middle Chinese 天狗.

Ancestry of “தெங்கங்காய்”, step by step

தெங்கங்காய் traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Tamil தெங்கு

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Tamilதெங்குcoconut palm (Cocos nucifera)
2Japanese天狗a tengu, a mythical Japanese creature, typically...
3Middle Chinese天狗—

via Tamil காய்

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Tamilகாய்unripe fruit
2Proto-Dravidiankāyfruit
Every word from Middle Chinese 天狗 →Every word from Japanese 天狗 →Every word from Tamil தெங்கு →