Karanj
/kəˈrɑːndʒ/noun
A tropical tree, Pongamia pinnata, native to South and Southeast Asia and valued for its oil-bearing seeds.
Did you know?Karanj oil has long been used in South Asian traditional medicine and agriculture, but the word’s deeper prehistory is uncertain rather than demonstrably magical.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
karañja
“The karanj tree, traditionally identified with Pongamia pinnata.”
Medieval Indian languages
Hindi and related languages
karañj / karanj
“The karanj tree and its seeds or oil.”
18th–19th Century
Anglo-Indian English
karanj
“A South Asian tree name adopted into English botanical and colonial writing.”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
Pongamia pinnata
“The botanical name assigned to the species; Pongamia refers to the plant genus and pinnata means “feathered.””
Modern English
English
karanj
“A common or regional English name for Pongamia pinnata, also spelled karanja.”
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