Chana
/ˈtʃɑː.nə/noun
A chickpea, especially in South Asian English and culinary contexts.
Did you know?Chana is commonly associated with Sanskrit caṇaka, but scholars have not established a secure chain of distant Indo-European cognates for the word.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
caṇaka (चणक)
“Chickpea or the chickpea plant”
Middle Indo-Aryan
Prakrit
caṇaya / caṇaga
“Chickpea; an evolved regional form of the Sanskrit name”
Medieval Indo-Aryan
Apabhraṃśa
caṇa
“Chickpea or pulse”
Medieval Hindi
Hindi
canā (चना)
“Chickpea”
Modern English
Indian English
chana
“Chickpea, especially in South Asian food and commerce”
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