檳榔

Described in Qimin Yaoshu [544 CE] and Taiping Yulan [983 CE].

Borrowed from a Southern language, possibly a Mon-Khmer language. Compare Northern Khmer [script needed] (naːt-phlɤːŋ, “a kind of betel leaf bush”), Thavung phalʌ̰̂ː (“betel”); Malay pinang; Acehnese pineung, Tsat naːŋ³³ (< Proto-Chamic *pinaːŋ (“betel nut”)), as well as Proto-Mon-Khmer *ml[əw] (“betel”), whence Khmer ម្លូ (mluu), Vietnamese trầu (< Proto-Vietic *b-luː), Thai พลู (pluu) and perhaps Chinese 扶留 (OC *pa/ba m·ru/m·rus, “a leaf chewed together with betel nut”).

Old 檳榔 signs

檳榔 = paan?

檳榔

1. betel palm
2. betel nut; areca nut

• (Min Nan) 菁仔, 菁仔子, 栳箬子

• (Min Nan) “Entry #12549”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (in Chinese and Min Nan), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2011.

檳榔 (binrō): the Areca catechu, the areca or betel palm.

From Chinese 檳榔 (bīngláng), itself from Malay pinang.

• On’yomi
  • (Tokyo) びんろー [bìńróó] (Heiban – [0])[1]
  • IPA^(key): [bʲĩnɾo̞ː]

檳榔 (hiragana びんろう, katakana ビンロウ, rōmaji binrō, historical hiragana びんらう)

1. Areca catechu, the areca or betel palm

As with many terms in biology, this term is often spelled in katakana.

• 檳 (びん)榔 (ろう)子 (じ) (binrōji): areca nut, betel nut

檳榔 (birō): the Chinese fan palm.

Unknown. From Chinese, but the use of this term as an alternative spelling is of uncertain derivation.

• On’yomi
  • (Tokyo) びろー [bìróó] (Heiban – [0])[1]
  • (Tokyo) び​ろー [bíꜜròò] (Atamadaka – [1])[1]
  • IPA^(key): [bʲiɾo̞ː]

檳榔 (hiragana びろう, katakana ビロウ, rōmaji birō, historical hiragana びらう)

1. alternative spelling of 蒲葵 (birō): Livistona chinensis, the Chinese fan palm

As with many terms in biology, this term is often spelled in katakana.