orange (English)
Where does "orange" come from?
The word 'orange' traces a vast journey from its Dravidian roots, passing through Sanskrit as 'nāraṅga' and Persian as 'nārang' before reaching the Arabic 'nāranj'. It entered the European lexicon via Old Occitan and Old French as 'pome orenge', eventually shedding the word for 'apple' to become simply 'orenge' in Middle English. Interestingly, the fruit's name was influenced by the place name Orange, with the word only shifting to describe the color orange several centuries after its initial arrival in the English language.
Full etymology tree
- orange (English), 'An evergreen tree of the genus Citrus such as Citrus sinensis which yields oranges (the fruit).'
- inherited orange (Middle English), 'alternative form of orenge'
- borrowed 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 arancio (Italian), 'orange (color/colour)'
- 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 arancio (Italian), 'orange (color/colour)'
- compound mela (Italian), 'apple (fruit)'
- influence Orenge (Toponym)
- influence auranja (Old Occitan), 'orange (fruit)'
- 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)'
- borrowed 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