Saman Tree
/ˈsæm.ən triː/noun
A large tropical tree, usually Samanea saman, known for its broad umbrella-shaped canopy and rain-like dripping beneath it.
Did you know?The word “saman” entered botanical English through Spanish samán from an Indigenous Caribbean or South American name, but its precise original language is uncertain.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*deru-
“To be firm, solid, or tree-like; the ancient root behind words connected with wood and durability.”
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*trewą
“Tree, wood, or something made from wood.”
Old English
Old English
trēow
“Tree; also wood or timber.”
Middle English
Middle English
tre
“Tree, especially a woody plant with a trunk and branches.”
16th–18th Century
Spanish
samán
“A regional name for the tropical tree, borrowed from an Indigenous American language of uncertain identification.”
Modern English
English
saman tree
“The tropical rain tree, Samanea saman, named with the Indigenous-derived “saman” plus the English word “tree.””