Longan
/ˈlɒŋ.ɡən/noun
A small tropical Asian fruit with translucent flesh and a single dark seed.
Did you know?The English name longan comes through Cantonese and other Chinese forms ultimately tied to the Vietnamese place name Long Nhãn, often glossed as “dragon eye,” because the peeled fruit looks like an eye staring back at you.
Etymological Timeline
Modern English
English
longan
“The tropical fruit now known in English as longan.”
19th Century
Cantonese/Chinese
lung-ngan / lóngyǎn
“A Chinese name for the fruit, literally “dragon eye,” referring to the fruit’s appearance.”
Older Chinese usage
Chinese
龍眼 (lóngyǎn)
““Dragon eye”; the traditional Chinese name for the fruit.”
Vietnamese place-name association
Vietnamese
Long Nhãn
“A name associated with the fruit in regional trade and naming, also meaning “dragon eye.””