An East Indian shrub or tree that produces indigo dye; also called Indian mulberry.
From Hindi/Sanskrit 'āl' referring to the indigo-producing plant. The term entered English through colonial trade and contact with India.
The aal plant was incredibly important historically because it produced indigo dye, which was worth its weight in gold during the colonial period. Entire empires built wealth on the demand for indigo from plants like the aal!
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