The Spanish and Portuguese word for basil, an herb with fragrant leaves commonly used in cooking.
From Arabic al-habāq, which is the original word for basil. The term spread through Iberian languages during the medieval period when Arab traders brought the plant and its name to Europe.
Basil was considered such an exotic, almost magical herb in medieval Europe that people grew it in pots to protect their homes—and the Arabic name for it traveled as far as the plant itself!
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