Etymology

camphor

C3A1M3P3H4O1R1

Today it means: A white transparent waxy crystalline isoprenoid ketone, 1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one, with a strong pungent odour, used in pharmacy, also known as laurel camphor or common/ordinary camphor. Full definition →

Old French camphore ← Medieval Latin camphora ← Arabic كَافُور
Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

The story

  1. Malay · derived fromkapur
  2. Austronesian · derived from
  3. Arabic · derived fromكَافُور
  4. Medieval Latin · derived fromcamphora
  5. Old French · derived fromcamphore
  6. English todaycamphor

From Old French camphore or Medieval Latin camphora, from Arabic كَافُور (kāfūr), in turn from an Austronesian word such as Malay kapur.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.