Kalonji

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kəˈlɒnd͡ʒi/

Definitions

1. A tiny, dark seed from a flowering plant that serves as a culinary spice and is believed to have medicinal properties while also being valued for its aromatic nature in various cultural rituals
2. This small, black seed, often employed in cuisine, is recognized for its potential health benefits and is sometimes featured in cultural and spiritual practices due to its fragrance
3. A small, aromatic seed that is commonly used as a spice in cooking, recognized for its potential health benefits and often associated with various cultural and spiritual rituals

Etymology: Kalonji is a case where the English word arrived by way of a language that was itself a borrower. Its root lies in the Tamil "karuñcīrakam," meaning "black cumin," a name that points to the seed's dark colour and its resemblance to the cumin family. The term travelled north into Hindi, where it became "kalauñjī" or "kaloñjī," and from there into Urdu as "kaloñjī," written with the Perso-Arabic script. Though the seed is often called black cumin in English, it is not botanically related to true cumin, which belongs to a different plant. The Tamil name's description of cumin is therefore a comparison of appearance and use rather than a claim of kinship. The English spelling "kalonji" follows the Hindi and Urdu forms rather than the Tamil original, which is why the word looks so different from its southern Indian source.

Synonyms: black cumin, nigella, nigella sativa, onion seed, black seed