orange (English)
Where does "orange" come from?
The word 'orange' traces its roots back to the Dravidian languages, moving through Sanskrit, Persian, and Arabic before entering Europe via Old Italian and Old Occitan. It eventually made its way into English through Old French, where it transitioned from a name for the citrus fruit to the common term for its vibrant color. Interestingly, the word's form was also shaped by the unrelated place name Orange, which had its own independent history.
Full etymology tree
- orange (English), 'Having the colour of the fruit of an orange tree; yellowred; reddish-yellow.'
- inherited orange (Middle English), 'alternative form of orenge'
- learned borrowing orange (Middle French), 'orange (fruit of the orange tree)'
- inherited orenge (Old French), 'orange (fruit of the orange tree)'
- inherited pomme d'orenge (Old French), 'orange (fruit)'
- calque melarancia (Italian), 'sweet orange, Citrus sinensis (fruit)'
- compound mela (Italian), 'apple (fruit)'
- inherited mēla (Late Latin)
- inherited mēlum (Latin), 'apple'
- derived mālum (Latin), 'inflection of malus:'
- inherited μᾶλον (mâlon) (Ancient Greek), 'Doric and Aeolic form of μῆλον (mêlon, “apple”)'
- derived mālum (Latin), 'inflection of malus:'
- inherited mēlum (Latin), 'apple'
- inherited mēla (Late Latin)
- compound arancia (Italian), 'orange (fruit)'
- inherited auranja (Old Occitan), 'orange (fruit)'
- inherited نَارَنْج (nāranj) (Arabic), 'bitter orange (Citrus aurantium)'
- inherited نَارَنْگ (nārang) (Persian), 'bitter orange'
- inherited नारङ्ग (nāraṅga) (Sanskrit), 'the orange tree'
- inherited نَارَنْگ (nārang) (Persian), 'bitter orange'
- inherited نَارَنْج (nāranj) (Arabic), 'bitter orange (Citrus aurantium)'
- inherited auranja (Old Occitan), 'orange (fruit)'
- compound mela (Italian), 'apple (fruit)'
- influence Orange (French), 'Orange (a town in Vaucluse department, in southern France)'
- influence auranja (Old Occitan), 'orange (fruit)'
- inherited نَارَنْج (nāranj) (Arabic), 'bitter orange (Citrus aurantium)'
- inherited نَارَنْگ (nārang) (Persian), 'bitter orange'
- inherited नारङ्ग (nāraṅga) (Sanskrit), 'the orange tree'
- inherited نَارَنْگ (nārang) (Persian), 'bitter orange'
- inherited نَارَنْج (nāranj) (Arabic), 'bitter orange (Citrus aurantium)'
- calque melarancia (Italian), 'sweet orange, Citrus sinensis (fruit)'
- inherited pomme d'orenge (Old French), 'orange (fruit)'
- inherited orenge (Old French), 'orange (fruit of the orange tree)'
- learned borrowing orange (Middle French), 'orange (fruit of the orange tree)'
- inherited orange (Middle English), 'alternative form of orenge'
Direct ancestors
- orenge (Middle English)
- orenge (Middle English)
- auranja (Old Occitan)
- नारङ्ग (Sanskrit)
- നാരങ്ങ (Malayalam)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris