Taro
/ˈtɑːroʊ/noun
A tropical plant cultivated for its starchy edible corms and leaves.
Did you know?The English word preserves a Polynesian plant name, while related forms such as Hawaiian kalo and Fijian dalo reflect an ancient Austronesian vocabulary spread across thousands of oceanic miles.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Austronesian (reconstructed)
PAN
*tales
“Taro or a related edible root crop; the exact reconstruction and its vowel patterns vary among specialists.”
Proto-Oceanic (reconstructed)
POC
*talo(q)
“Taro, an important cultivated food plant carried through Oceanian-speaking communities.”
Pre-European Polynesia
Polynesian
talo
“Taro; related forms developed across Polynesian languages.”
18th Century
Tahitian
taro
“Taro, recorded by European visitors in Tahiti.”
1769
English
taro
“The plant or its edible corm, borrowed into English from a Polynesian source, often identified specifically with Tahitian.”
Modern English
English
taro
“A widely cultivated tropical root crop, also used to flavor drinks, desserts, and snacks.”