Cinnamon origin

Question

The Oed states that the word "cinnamon" derives from the Hebrew "quinnamon" whereas Brown-Driver-Briggs Gesenius says that the word most likely comes from the Malay "kayu manis." The Encarta World English Dictionary says that the word came from via Greek "kinnamon" from Malay. I don't know too many English words that have disputed etymologies between Hebrew and Malay. Does anybody have something to add to this debate.

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]The Oed states that the word "cinnamon" derives from the Hebrew "quinnamon" whereas Brown-Driver-Briggs Gesenius says that the word most ... many English words that have disputed etymologies between Hebrew and Malay. Does anybody have something to add to this debate.[/nq]
There is no u in qinnamon.
(Why would BDB venture an opinion on an English etymology? or are you saying they're saying the Hebrew word comes from Malay?)
Peter T. Daniels (Email Removed)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]The Oed states that the word "cinnamon" derives from the Hebrew "quinnamon" whereas Brown-Driver-Briggs Gesenius says that the word[/nq]
BDB is an etymological dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and Biblical Aramaic; only words of these languages attested in the OT are mentioned.
are you sure you are talking about the right dictionary?

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]The Oed states that the word "cinnamon" derives from the Hebrew "quinnamon" whereas Brown-Driver-Briggs Gesenius says that the word[/nq]
[nq:1]BDB is an etymological dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and Biblical Aramaic; only words of these languages attested in the OT are mentioned. are you sure you are talking about the right dictionary?[/nq]
OK. I found it, p. 890.
OED says the english word came via latin from greek, and that the greek word is probably of semitic origin, and gives Hebrew as an example.

evidently the word is attested in the Bible, and it is mentioned by DBD on p. 890.
DBD says the word is probably of foreign origin, probably coming from further East, the word coming with the trade and introduction of the spice and gives Malay as an example.
so english > > latin > greek > some (northwestern ?) semitic language (like hebrew) > languages further east > (for example, Malay)
[nq:2]most likely comes from the Malay "kayu manis." The Encarta ... and Malay. Does anybody have somethingto add to this debate.[/nq]
some semitic langauge resembling hebrew is the source of greek, which in turn took it from languages further east, perhaps originating in something like malay.
they are all consistent, differing on how far you want to speculate.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]The Oed states that the word "cinnamon" derives from the Hebrew "quinnamon" whereas Brown-Driver-Briggs Gesenius says that the word most ... many English words that have disputed etymologies between Hebrew and Malay. Does anybody have something to add to this debate.[/nq]
That's the third time in a month someone's asked a question here that I can relate to a Philologos column in the Forward.
http://www.forward.com/articles/2623

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]The Oed states that the word "cinnamon" derives from the ... and Malay. Does anybody have somethingto add to this debate.[/nq]
[nq:1]That's the third time in a month someone's asked a question here thatI can relate to a Philologos column in the Forward. http://www.forward.com/articles/2623[/nq]
it does make wonder whether ancient arabs got it from ancient seafaring malays (or related people)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]"kinnamon" to[/nq]
Although I must say the similarity between "qinnamon" and "kayu manis" does not strike me as compelling, it is an interesting idea. I might add one further small point of comparison: in the west we find m...m forms (Greek kinnamo:mon) as well as m...n forms; and it turns out that the -n- in the Malay word for "sweet" is irregular, for expected -m-. Forms regularly reflecting *mamis occur in various languages of Indonesia and the Philippines, and as far as Polynesia (Futuna mami 'sweet').

Ross Clark

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]"kinnamon" to I it does make wonder whether ancient arabs got it from ancientseafaring malays (or related people)[/nq]
[nq:1]Although I must say the similarity between "qinnamon" and "kayumanis" does not strike me as compelling, it is an interesting idea. I mightadd[/nq]
thanks.

Usenet · Answer

Just following this a little further, I was reminded of "cardamom", another spice of East Asian origin. My Concise Oxford says the Greek word is kardamo:mon, i.e. with the same ending as the "cinnamon" word, and that this derives from kardamon (cress) and amo:mon (a spice plant). At this point the number of possibilities becomes greater than the number of facts I know. Enough from me.
Ross Clark

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]word World disputed something that seafaring manis" add thanks. forms Forms and[/nq]
[nq:1]Just following this a little further, I was reminded of "cardamom", another spice of East Asian origin. My Concise Oxford ... plant). At this point the number of possibilities becomes greater than the number of facts I know. Enough from me.[/nq]
It looks like a question for Waruno Mahdi.
==
Miguel Carrasquer Vidal

Usenet · Answer

I found this online at http://www.rakkav.com/song/pages/appendix01.htm
o qiNamon, #7076 (Song 4:14), "cinnamon (prob(ably) foreign word, coming with the thing from remote (East))" (BDBG). This word compares with the Malay word kainamanis or kayumanis (ibid.). It is mentioned as early as Exodus 30:23, and also in Proverbs 7:17 in both cases, as a kind of perfuming agent. Certainly this word does not prove a late origin for any of these passages; cinnamon and other spices were long imported into the Middle East from the Far East, thanks to the ambition of Babylonian, Arab and other traders. Again, two of the three biblical usages of this word come from works ascribed to Solomon (who could certainly afford to import spices or anything else he wanted).

Cinnamon origin

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions