English
mahleb
Mahleb comes from Arabic مَحْلَب ‘mahaleb cherry’, and goes back to حَلَبَ ‘to milk’.
- Arabicc. 500–presentحَلَبَḥalaba‘to milk’
- Arabic, derivedc. 500–presentمَحْلَبmaḥlab‘mahaleb cherry’
- Englishearliest quotation 2010mahleb
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Arabicc. 500–presentحَلَبَḥalaba‘to milk’
- Arabic, derivedc. 500–presentمَحْلَبmaḥlab‘mahaleb cherry’
- Englishearliest quotation 2010mahleb
Earliest quotation: 2010, Richard Sax: “What makes them [(kahke)] unique is the fragrant mahleb…”
Every English word from Arabic حَلَبَ
Today it means
noun A Middle Eastern spice derived from the pit of the mahaleb cherry (Prunus mahaleb)
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Arabic حَلَبَ / mahleb