A Spanish word for cotton; sometimes used in English when referring to cotton plants, fibers, or textiles from Spanish-speaking regions.
From Spanish 'algodón,' which comes from Arabic 'al-qutn' through medieval Spanish. The Arabic term was adopted into Spanish during the Islamic period in Spain (711-1492), and later entered English as a borrowed word for the cotton plant.
The word 'cotton' itself traveled from Arabic through Spanish, then English, showing how trade and cultural exchange shaped our vocabulary—Arab traders brought cotton knowledge to Spain, which passed it to the rest of Europe!
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