Etymology

Bengal

B3E1N1G2A1L1

Today it means: A short-haired domestic cat of a particular breed that originated in the United States. Full definition →

Portuguese Bengala ← Classical Persian بَنْگَالَه ← inc-mbn বাঙ্গালা
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The story

  1. inc-mbn · derived fromবাঙ্গালা
  2. Classical Persian · derived fromبَنْگَالَه
  3. Portuguese · borrowed fromBengala
  4. English todayBengal

Borrowed from Portuguese Bengala, from Classical Persian بَنْگَالَه (bangāla), from Middle Bengali বাঙ্গালা (baṅgala), said to be from the Vanga Kingdom, of uncertain ultimate origin. Vangalam has been attested in medieval South India. Doublet of Bangla.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.