Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Arabic ·1200s
Saffron
from zaʿfarān
- Meaning
- A golden spice made from crocus stigmas.
- Source word
- zaʿfarān
- Route into English
- Arabic *zaʿfarān* → Old French *safran* → English in the 14th century. The Arabic name travelled with the trade; the flower itself was cultivated from Spain to Kashmir.
- Arrived
- 1200s
From Arabic
Science, trade, and the Mediterranean transit of Andalusian scholarship gave English its Arabic stratum — especially in maths, chemistry, and commerce. Many entered through Latin or Italian.
English borrows.
Browse the full loanword atlas or explore another source language.