1774, "scaly, toothless, ant-eating mammal of Java," from Malay (Austronesian) peng-goling "roller," from its habit of curling into a ball; from peng- (denominative prefix) + goling "to roll." Later extended to related species elsewhere in Asia and in Africa.
name given to various birds of the parrot family, 1610s, from Dutch kaketoe, from Malay (Austronesian) kakatua, possibly echoic, or from kakak "elder brother or sister" + tua "old." Also cockatiel, cockateel (1863), from Dutch diminutive kaketielje (1850), which is perhaps influenced by Portuguese. Spelling influenced by cock (n.1).
also ratan, type of climbing palm with tough, flexible stems that are economically valuable for making chair-bottoms, walking sticks, baskets, etc., 1650s, from Malay (Austronesian) rotan, rautan, according to OED from raut "to trim, strip, peel, pare."
"starchy foodstuff made of the piths of palms," 1570s, via Portuguese and Dutch from Malay (Austronesian) sagu, the name of the palm tree from which it is obtained (attested in English in this sense from 1550s). Also borrowed in French (sagou), Spanish (sagu), German (Sago).
"ovate, pale yellow citrus fruit," c. 1400, lymon, from Old French limon "citrus fruit" (12c.), which comes via Provençal or Italian from Arabic laimun, Persian limun. Apparently brought from India to the Levant by the Arabs 9c. or 10c.; the word is perhaps ultimately from an Austronesian word of the Malay archipelago, such as Balinese limo "lemon," Malay limaw "citrus fruit, lime" (compare lime (n.2)).
Meaning "person with a tart disposition" is from 1863. For the sense "worthless thing," see lemon (n.2). Slang meaning "a Quaalude" is 1960s, from Lemmon, name of a pharmaceutical company that once manufactured the drug. The surname is from Middle English leman "sweetheart, lover." Lemon-juice is attested from 1610s; the candy lemon-drop from 1807. The East Indian lemon-grass (1837) is so called for its smell.
"tree of heaven," type of fast-growing weed-tree native to China, brought to Europe and America in 18c.; 1807, Modern Latin, from Amboyna Malay (Austronesian) ailanto, said to mean "tree of the gods." The spelling was altered by influence of Greek anthos "flower" (for which see anther).
