Malacca
/məˈlækə/noun
A former spice-trade port and sultanate in present-day Malaysia; also used for a type of cane or rattan from that region.
Did you know?Malacca became a major node in the Indian Ocean spice trade, so the word carries the afterimage of empires, merchants, and sea routes rather than a hidden occult meaning.
Etymological Timeline
c. 1400
Malay
Melaka
“The name of a port city and sultanate on the Malay Peninsula”
15th Century
Portuguese
Malaca
“Portuguese rendering of the place-name after contact and conquest”
16th Century
English
Malacca
“The Malacca region; later, a cane or rattan associated with that region”
Modern English
English
malacca
“A cane or rattan, or something associated with the Malacca region”