Aurantium

/ɔːˈrænʃəm/ noun

Definition

The Latin or scientific term for orange or the orange plant, especially used in botanical and historical contexts.

Etymology

From medieval Latin 'aurantium,' originally from Arabic 'nāranj,' which came from Sanskrit 'nāraṅga.' The 'n' was lost when the Arabic word was adopted into European languages.

Kelly Says

The word 'orange' has a fascinating history—Arabic speakers said 'nāranj,' but European traders kept dropping the 'n,' and it became 'naranja' in Spanish and eventually 'orange' in English, which is why orange is one of the few English words that starts with a vowel that used to start with a consonant.

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