mahogany

The story

1. Yoruba · derived frommoganwo“trees”
2. Portuguese · borrowed frommogano
3. English todaymahogany

A word of unknown origin, concocted in either English or Middle Dutch from one or more exotic phytonyms and common European words. alternative etymologies Alternatively from Portuguese mogano, mógono, obsolete forms of mogno, itself of unknown origin (often suggested to be from the English word instead of the reverse), perhaps from an extinct indigenous language, such as a Mayan language originally spoken in Honduras or a South American language, but no known cognates survive. Another theory attempts to link Yoruba moganwo (“trees”, literally “tall ones”), but this has been criticized.

First known use, by meaning

• from 17th c. The valuable wood of any of various tropical American evergreen trees, of the genus Swietenia, mostly used to make furniture.
• from 18th c. Any of the trees from which such wood comes.
• from 18th c. A Cornish drink made from gin and treacle.
• from 19th c. A reddish-brown color, like that of mahogany wood.
• 19th c. A table made from mahogany wood; a dining table.