baobab
UK[ˈbeɪəʊbæb]US[ˈbaɪoʊˌbæb]
n
A very large tree with a thick trunk, found in Africa and Australia, that can live for a very long time and has hard fruit shaped like a gourd.
n
The acid-tasting fruit of this tree.
Etymology
The word 'baobab' entered English in the 17th century from Portuguese, which had borrowed it from Arabic traders. The Arabic term 'būḥibab' or 'abū ḥibāb' poetically described the tree's prolific seed pods. This name was applied to the iconic African tree (Adansonia digitata) and later extended to related species in Australia. As a loanword, its form was adopted whole, making it a simplex term in English whose structure reflects its journey through languages rather than a composition of classical morphemes.
Analysis
The word is a loanword adopted as a single, unanalyzable unit in English. It originates from the Arabic name for the tree, 'būḥibab', likely derived from 'abū ḥibāb', meaning "father of many seeds".
Examples
The ancient baobab tree stood like a sentinel in the savannah.
The pulp from the baobab fruit is rich in vitamin C.
Many legends are told about the bizarre, upside-down appearance of the baobab.