Acaju
/əˈkɑː.ʒuː/noun
A variant spelling of cashew, the tropical tree or its kidney-shaped nut.
Did you know?Acaju ultimately comes from a Tupi word for the cashew tree, showing how Indigenous botanical knowledge entered global vocabulary through Portuguese expansion.
Etymological Timeline
Tupi-Guarani
Tupi
acajú
“The cashew tree or its fruit”
16th Century
Portuguese
caju
“Cashew tree or cashew nut, borrowed from Tupi”
16th-17th Century
French/European trade languages
acajou / cajou
“A borrowed form used in European naming of tropical plants and nuts”
Modern English
English
acaju
“A rare variant spelling referring to cashew”