Know Your English (May 2001)

Know your English

Is the word ``orange'' a Tamil word?

Many Tamilians would like to think so! Some argue that the word orange comes from the Tamil words ``six'' and ``five'' respectively. The good news is that the word does come from an Indian language - Sanskrit. Scholars who have studied the origin of words contend that the word ``orange'' comes from the Sanskrit ``naranga''.

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, May 01, 2001