Gai Lan
/ˈɡaɪ ˌlæn/noun
A leafy Chinese vegetable with thick stems and small flowering shoots, also called Chinese broccoli.
Did you know?Gai lan is the Cantonese pronunciation of 芥蘭, whose two characters combine 芥, “mustard,” with 蘭, “orchid”—a botanical metaphor rather than an occult term.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
芥
“Mustard or mustard plant”
Classical Chinese
Chinese
蘭
“Orchid; fragrant flowering plant”
Modern Cantonese
Cantonese
gaai3 laan4
“The vegetable known in English as Chinese broccoli”
20th Century
English
gai lan
“A Cantonese loanword for Chinese broccoli”
Modern English
English
gai lan
“A leafy green vegetable with thick stalks and flowering shoots”