banana

banana · noun, adjective¹

1. Arabic · derived fromبَنَان“fingertip, banana”
2. vai · derived fromꕒꘌꕯ
3. Eastern Maninkakan · derived frombanana
4. Wolof · derived frombanaana
5. Spanish · borrowed frombanana
6. Portuguese · borrowed frombanana
7. English todaybanana

Borrowed from Portuguese banana or Spanish banana, derived from a Niger-Congo language spoken in the Guinea region. Specific derivation is unclear. Possible ancestor or cognate languages include Wolof banaana, Eastern Maninkakan banana, and Vai ꕒꘌꕯ (ɓaana) or ꕒꕌꕯ (ɓaana), possibly from Arabic بَنَان (banān, “fingertip, banana”). However, Ay Baati Wolof (Munro & Gaye, 1997) posits that Wolof banaana is itself derived from Portuguese banana. The racial slur derives from the notion that they are “Yellow (East-Asian) on the outside, but White (Westernized) on the inside”.

BANANA · noun²

Contrived acronym of build absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone (or anything), as a play on "bananas" meaning "crazy, mad"

First known use, by meaning

• from 1597 The elongated curved tropical fruit of a banana plant, which grows in bunches and has a creamy flesh and a smooth skin.
• from 1597 In particular, the sweet, yellow fruit of the Cavendish banana cultivar, which may be eaten raw, as distinct from e.g. a plantain for cooking.
• from 1697 The tropical tree-like plant which bears clusters of bananas, a plant of the genus Musa (but sometimes also including plants from Ensete), which has large, elongated leaves.
• from 1923 A yellow color, like that of a banana's skin.
• from 1970 A person of East or Southeast Asian descent, considered to be overly assimilated and subservient to white authority.
• from 1991 (Australia) One who objects to the building of any structure in their neighbourhood or a certain type of structure anywhere, especially in public policy debate.