mango
UK[ˈmæŋɡəʊ]US[ˈmæŋɡoʊ]
n
A tropical fruit with a smooth yellow or red skin, soft orange flesh, and a large hard seed in the middle.
Etymology
The word 'mango' has a long journey from South Asia to the global lexicon. It originates from the Tamil word 'māṅkāy', a compound of 'mā' (meaning the mango tree) and 'kāy' (meaning fruit). Portuguese traders adopted it as 'manga' in the 16th century during their colonial ventures in India. The English form 'mango' emerged in the late 16th century, borrowed directly from the Portuguese term for both the fruit and the tree, solidifying its place in English as the name for this distinctive tropical fruit.
Analysis
The word 'mango' is a simplex loanword. It entered English as a single, unanalyzable unit from Portuguese 'manga', which in turn came from the Tamil word 'māṅkāy' (meaning 'mango fruit').
Examples
She cut the ripe mango into cubes for the fruit salad.
The sweet scent of mango filled the market stall.
He ordered a refreshing mango lassi with his meal.