Anil
/ˈænɪl/noun
A blue dye obtained from plants of the genus Indigofera, especially indigo-producing species.
Did you know?Anil ultimately comes from Sanskrit nīla, meaning “dark blue,” the same color term that traveled through Persian and Arabic trade networks into European languages.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
nīla
“Dark blue; blue-black”
Medieval Persian
Persian
nīl
“Indigo or blue dye”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
an-nīl
“The indigo; literally “the blue” with the Arabic definite article”
16th Century
Spanish
añil
“Indigo dye”
16th–17th Century
Portuguese/English
anil
“Indigo dye or the indigo plant”
Modern English
English
anil
“A plant of the genus Indigofera, or the blue dye obtained from it”