A tropical plant used to make indigo dye, or the blue dye itself.
From Sanskrit 'nila,' meaning 'dark blue,' passed through Arabic 'an-nil' and Portuguese 'anil.' The word traveled along trade routes as the valuable dye became a global commodity.
Anil dye created the famous blue of jeans and indigo fabrics that clothe billions today. The word itself traveled from India through the Arab world to Europe, showing how a single plant shaped global fashion for centuries.
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