Sappan
/ˈsæpən/noun
A tropical Asian tree whose reddish wood yields a red dye and has been used in traditional medicine and woodworking.
Did you know?Sappanwood was historically used to produce red dye, and its botanical name, Caesalpinia sappan, honors Italian physician and botanist Andrea Cesalpino—not an occult tradition, but a striking example of trade, medicine, and naming converging in one word.
Etymological Timeline
Early Malay
Malay
sepang
“The sappan tree or its red dye-producing wood”
16th Century
Portuguese
sapão
“Sappanwood, probably borrowed through Southeast Asian trade”
16th Century
English
sappan
“The imported red dye wood of Southeast Asia”
17th Century
Latin
Caesalpinia sappan
“The botanical name assigned to the sappan tree”
Modern English
English
sappan
“A tropical tree, or its reddish wood used for dye and other purposes”
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