Camphor
/ˈkæm.fər/noun
A fragrant, waxy substance obtained from the wood of the camphor tree or made synthetically, used in medicine and moth repellents.
Did you know?Camphor’s name traveled through Arabic and Latin from Sanskrit, and in medieval medicine it was prized as a cooling, purifying substance that seemed almost magically able to repel decay and insects.
Etymological Timeline
Sanskrit
Sanskrit
karpūra
“camphor; the aromatic crystalline substance”
Early Middle Ages
Malay/Old Javanese
kapur
“camphor or a related aromatic resin”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
kāfūr
“camphor”
Medieval Latin
Latin
camphora
“camphor”
Late Middle English
English
camphor
“the aromatic substance camphor”
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