Copra
/ˈkɒp.rə/noun
The dried kernel of a coconut, used chiefly to extract coconut oil.
Did you know?The word entered European languages through Indian Ocean trade, most likely from Malayalam koppara or Tamil kopparai, showing how coconut commerce carried South Indian vocabulary around the world.
Etymological Timeline
Before the 16th Century
Dravidian
*koppar- / *kopparai
“A proposed Dravidian source associated with the dried kernel of the coconut; the deeper origin is uncertain.”
Medieval Period
Malayalam
koppara
“Dried coconut kernel.”
Medieval Period
Tamil
kopparai
“Dried coconut meat or kernel.”
16th Century
Portuguese
copra
“Dried coconut kernel, borrowed through Portuguese contact and trade in India.”
17th Century
Dutch/European Trade
copra
“The commercially traded dried interior of the coconut.”
Modern English
English
copra
“Dried coconut kernel, especially as a source of coconut oil.”