Meanings
plural galangals · alternative galingale · alternative galanga
- countableuncountableAny of several east Asian plants of genera Alpinia and Kaempferia in the ginger family, used as a spice, but principally Alpinia galanga.
The refreshing aroma of galangal acts in combination with and as a contrast to lemongrass in many recipes in this book.
2008, Carol Selva Rajah, David Thompson, Heavenly Fragrance, page 1441 more example
Another time, she dined in Hampstead, where she was fed a version of stargazy pie with a whole squid where the eel should have been. It was flavoured, for the full medieval effect, with galangal, which her hostess described as “kind of like frankincense”.
2023 July 15, Rachel Cooke, “No, Nigella – dinner parties are great. Deliveroo just doesn’t cut it”, in The Observer, →ISSN
Synonyms & antonyms
nounEuropean sedge having rough-edged leaves and spikelets of reddish flowers and aromatic roots
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Sanskritकुलञ्जन
- Persianقولنجان
- Arabicخَلَنْجَان
- Old Frenchgalingal
- Middle Englishgalyngale
- Englishgalangal
From Middle English galyngale, from Old French galingal, from Arabic خَلَنْجَان (ḵalanjān), from Persian قولنجان (qulenjân, qulanjân), from Sanskrit कुलञ्जन (kulañjana), perhaps from Chinese 高良薑／高良姜 (gāoliángjiāng), from 高涼 /高凉 (Gāoliáng) (a prefecture or county in China) + 薑 /姜 (jiāng, “ginger”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Arabic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek γάλαγγα, ζέρνα
- γάλαγγα (gálanga)any of several plants of the ginger family
- ζέρνα (zérna)any of several plants of the ginger family
- κύπειρον (kúpeiron)any of several plants of the ginger family
Arabic خَوْلَنْجَان
- خَوْلَنْجَان (ḵawlanjān)any of several plants of the ginger family
Bengali কুলিঞ্জ, কুলঞ্জ
- কুলিঞ্জ (kulinjo)any of several plants of the ginger family
- কুলঞ্জ (kulonjo)any of several plants of the ginger family
- কুলিঞ্জন (kulinjon)any of several plants of the ginger family
- গালানগল (galangol)any of several plants of the ginger family
Catalan galanga
- galangaany of several plants of the ginger family
Chinese Cantonese 南薑 /南姜
- 南薑 /南姜 (naam⁴ goeng¹)any of several plants of the ginger family
Chinese Mandarin 高良薑 /高良姜
- 高良薑 /高良姜 (gāoliángjiāng)any of several plants of the ginger family
Czech galgán, galgant
- galgánany of several plants of the ginger family
- galgantany of several plants of the ginger family
Dutch laos
- laosany of several plants of the ginger family
Finnish galanga, galangajuuri
- galangaany of several plants of the ginger family
- galangajuuriany of several plants of the ginger family
French galangue, galanga
- galangueany of several plants of the ginger family
- galangaany of several plants of the ginger family
German Galgant
- Galgantany of several plants of the ginger family
Greek χαυλιτζάνι
- χαυλιτζάνι (chavlitzáni)any of several plants of the ginger family
Hindi कुलंजन
- कुलंजन (kulañjan)any of several plants of the ginger family
Indonesian laos, lengkuas
- laosany of several plants of the ginger family
- lengkuasany of several plants of the ginger family
Italian galanga
- galangaany of several plants of the ginger family
Malay lengkuas
- lengkuasany of several plants of the ginger family
Persian خسرو دارو, خسرودارو
- خسرو دارو (xesru dâru)any of several plants of the ginger family
- خسرودارو (xesrudâru)any of several plants of the ginger family
- خولنجان (xawlenjân, xulenjân)any of several plants of the ginger family
- خاولنجان (xâwlanjân)any of several plants of the ginger family
- قولنجان (qulanjân, qulenjân)any of several plants of the ginger family
Polish gałgan, galgant
- gałganany of several plants of the ginger family
- galgantany of several plants of the ginger family
Portuguese galanga
- galangaany of several plants of the ginger family
Russian галанговый ко́рень, калга́н
- галанговый ко́рень (galangovyj kórenʹ)any of several plants of the ginger family
- калга́н (kalgán)any of several plants of the ginger family
- галга́н (galgán)any of several plants of the ginger family
- галгант (galgant)any of several plants of the ginger family
- галанга (galanga)any of several plants of the ginger family
Slovak galgan, galgant
- galganany of several plants of the ginger family
- galgantany of several plants of the ginger family
Spanish galangal
- galangalany of several plants of the ginger family
Swedish galanga
- galangaany of several plants of the ginger family
Tagalog langkawas
- langkawasany of several plants of the ginger family
Thai ข่า
- ข่า (kàa)any of several plants of the ginger family
Turkish havlıcan, kulunç otu
- havlıcanany of several plants of the ginger family
- kulunç otuany of several plants of the ginger family
Ukrainian калга́н
- калга́н (kalhán)any of several plants of the ginger family
Vietnamese riềng
- riềngany of several plants of the ginger family
Cite this entry
galangal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/galangal
“galangal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/galangal. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “galangal,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/galangal.
Source: galangal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.