Rotan
/ˈrəʊ.tən/noun
A rattan palm or the flexible cane obtained from it.
Did you know?Rotan entered European vocabulary through trade in Southeast Asian cane, whose long, flexible stems became valuable for furniture, walking sticks, and basketry.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-modern period
Malay
rotan
“Rattan, especially the climbing palms and their flexible cane”
17th Century
Dutch
rotan
“Rattan cane, borrowed through Dutch commercial contact with Southeast Asia”
17th Century
English
rattan
“The cane of various Southeast Asian palms”
18th–19th Century
English
rotan
“A variant spelling or name for rattan”
Modern English
English
rotan
“A rattan palm or its cane, chiefly used in specialized or regional contexts”