Areca
/əˈriːkə/noun
A tropical palm genus whose seeds include the betel nut, widely chewed in South and Southeast Asia.
Did you know?Areca entered European languages through Portuguese from Malayalam or a related Dravidian source, showing how trade routes carried not just goods but the names of sacred and social plants.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient South Asia
Dravidian
*āṭṭa / related local forms
“A local name for the areca/betel palm or its nut, likely from a South Asian source language”
16th Century
Portuguese
areca
“The areca or betel palm, introduced through Asian trade”
16th-17th Century
Latin
areca
“A learned botanical name adopted from Portuguese accounts”
Modern English
English
areca
“The tropical palm genus Areca, especially Areca catechu, the betel nut palm”