saffron
SAF-ruhn · noun
Origin
English saffron comes from Middle English saffron, borrowed from Old French safran, which came from Medieval Latin safranum. That in turn was borrowed from Arabic زَعْفَرَان (zaʕfarān), itself traced back to Aramaic צפר.
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Journey
The word passed through Aramaic, Arabic, Medieval Latin, and Old French before settling into Middle English as saffron, with no recorded shift in meaning along the way.