Gingeley

/ˈdʒɪndʒəli/ noun

Definition

Sesame; the tropical plant whose seeds are used to make oil and are eaten as food, also called til or gingelly.

Etymology

From Hindi 'til' or Sanskrit origins, entering English through Indian colonial contact. The varied spellings (gingeley, gingelly, gingeli) all derive from similar Hindi/Sanskrit roots for this important oil-producing seed.

Kelly Says

The dizzying number of spelling variants for sesame in English reflects how recently Europeans encountered this crop—there was no standard way to write these Indian plant names until very recently!

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