Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by singularity2001 1851 days ago
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanderwort, 18 Febr. 2007:

A word that was spread among numerous languages and cultures, usually in connection with trade, so that it becomes impossible to establish its original etymology, or even its original language.

Interestingly even back in Egyptian times there was a corroded version with H instead of C: 𓎛 𓆰 𓈖 | H.n | cannabis

(unless 𓎛 was closer to C than to H)