Turmeric

sb. (a.) Forms: 6 tarmaret, tormarith, -marthe, tormerik, -yke, turmirick, 6–7 turmericke (7 turn-merick, turmerocke, -ack, termarcke, tarmanick, tarmaluk), 7–9 turmerick, 8– turmeric. [Origin obscure. The English forms vary greatly, but tarmaret, tormarith resemble a recorded F. terre mérite and med. or mod.L. terra merita ‘deserving or deserved earth,’ a name which the powder is said by Littré to have borne in commerce. The reason and origin of this L. and F. appellation are obscure; but in English the final t appears (by scribal error, or phonetic differentiation, or influence of such words as arsenic) to have become c or k, with the second r sometimes changed to l or n. Some have suggested a corruption of the Persian-Arabic name kurkum ‘saffron,’ whence L., F., and Sp. curcuma; but the change seems too unlikely. The application of the name in Eng. to Tormentil arose apparently from some real or fancied similarity of properties or uses.

  (Littré has s.v. Curcuma ‘safran des Indes et curcuma, dite terre-mérite, quand elle est réduite en poudre.’ Hatz.-Darm. have also, s.v. Curcuma, Du Pinet, 16th c. in Delbœuf, Recueil ‘La curcuma ou terra merita des apothicaires.’)]

  1.  The aromatic and pungent root-stock of an East Indian plant (see 2), or the powder made of this, the chief ingredient in curry powder, used also in dyeing yellow, and as a chemical test, and in the East as a condiment and medicinally; also called curcuma (CURCUMA b).

1545.  Rates of Custome, c vj b. Tarmaret the C. pounde xl s.

1577.  Richmond Wills (Surtees), 269. Spicknell, turmirick, and galingall ij^s.

1586.  Rates of Custome, F j. Tormarith the c, contayning v. xx. xii. pound, iij. l. vj. s. viij. d.

1607.  Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1658), 300. Take … of Ale a quart, and put thereunto of Saffron, Turmerick, of each half an ounce [for the Yellows (Jaundice) in the horse].

1614.  Markham, Cheap Husb., I. (1668), Table, Turn-merick is a yellow Simple, of strong savour, to be bought at the Apothecaries.

1621.  Shuttleworths’ Acc. (Chetham Soc.), 248. Longe peper graines and turmerocke.

1685.  Minute Bk. New Mills Cloth Manuf. (S.H.S.), 97. Dye stuffs … tarmanick, logwood, woad.

1694.  in Dunbar, Soc. Life Moray (1865), 148. Ane kinkine tarmaluk, for dying.

1791.  Hamilton, Berthollet’s Dyeing, II. II. III. iv. 185. Neither fustic nor turmeric gives a permanent colour.

1805.  W. Saunders, Min. Waters, iv. 117. The yellow of turmeric is not altered, shewing therefore the absence of an alkali.

1812.  J. Smyth, Pract. of Customs (1821), 264. Turmerick … with alum, communicates a beautiful but perishable yellow dye to woollen cloth, cotton, or linen. It is also used as a drug.

1851.  Richardson, Geol., v. (1855), 84. Alkalis … change to a reddish brown the yellow colour of paper stained with turmeric.

  b.  applied to other products: † by English herbalists to the root of Tormentil in obs. F. souchet de bois, as distinct from souchet d’Inde, Indian galingale, curcuma) (Cotgr.); also, the root-stock of Sanguinaria canadensis, having medicinal qualities.

  African turmeric, the fleshy underground stems of a species of Canna, cultivated in Sierra Leone and used for dyeing yellow. Indian turmeric (of N. America), the yellow root of Hydrastis canadensis, occasionally used in dyeing and medicinally. See also quot. 1898.

1538.  Turner, Libellus, Heptaphillon, officinis bistorta, & tormentilla, nostratibus Tormentyll & Tormeryke dicitur. Ibid. (1548), Names of Herbes, 87. Tormentilla,… in englishe Tormentil, or Tormerik.

1857.  Dunglison, Med. Lex., Turmeric, Curcuma longa, Sanguinaria Canadensis.

1888.  Encycl. Brit., XXIII. 662/2. In Sierra Leone a kind of turmeric is obtained from a species of Canna.

1890.  Billings, Med. Dict., Indian turmeric, Hydrastis canadensis.

1898.  Morris, Austral Eng., Turmeric, i. q. Stinkwood (q.v.): also applied occasionally to Hakea dactyloides, N.O. Proteaceæ. [Ibid., Stinkwood,… in Tasmania,… the timber of Zieria smithii, Andr., N. O. Rutaceæ.]

  2.  The plant Curcuma longa, N.O. Zingiberaceæ.

1601.  Holland, Pliny, XXI. xviii. II. 101. Cyperus … is counted to have a depilatorie vertue for to fech off haire. [Margin] This Cyperis is taken to be Curcuma, or Terramerita, called therupon corruptly, Turmericke.

1671.  Salmon, Syn. Med., III. xxii. 397. Curcuma, κυπάρισσος ἰνδικὸς, Turmerick, the root opens the Gall,… cures the Jaundies.

1785.  Martyn, Rousseau’s Bot., xi. (1794), 118. This order contains several interesting plants, such as … turmerick.

1840.  F. D. Bennett, Whaling Voy., I. 42. Tobacco and turmeric grow wild in great abundance.

  3.  attrib. and Comb., as turmeric crop, plant, powder, root, test-paper, water; turmeric-faced adj.; turmeric-oil = TURMEROL; turmeric paper, unsized paper tinged with a solution of turmeric, used as a test for alkalis; turmeric pudding, a pudding colored with turmeric; turmeric-tree, Zieria Smithii (Acronychia Bauers), the stinkwood of Tasmania, a tree having bright yellow inner bark.

1912.  Thurston, Omens & Superst. S. India, vii. 206. A human sacrifice, which was intended to give a rich colour to the *turmeric crop.

1840.  Hood, Up the Rhine, 48. That *turmeric-faced Yankee is my evil genius.

1809.  Pearson, in Phil. Trans., XCIX. 316. The presence of an alkali I could in no instance perceive, by means of the usual tests, namely, *turmeric paper, litmus paper [etc.].

1826.  Henry, Elem. Chem., II. 522. Turmeric paper and tincture are changed to a reddish brown by alkalis…. Turmeric paper … however … is turned brown by muriatic acid gas and strong acids in general.

1857.  G. Bird’s Urin. Deposits (ed. 5), 288. The urine was clear, alkaline, turning turmeric paper brown.

1837.  Penny Cycl., VIII. 233/2. Curcuma longa, the *Turmerick plant.

1866.  Treas. Bot., 1250/2. The ground ginger of the shops is adulterated with sago-meal,… mustard husks, and *turmeric powder.

a. 1704.  T. Brown, Walk round Lond., Thames, Wks. 1709, III. III. 59. To make his Countenance shine like *Turmerick Pudding.

1843.  Penny Cycl., XXV. 416/2. *Turmeric root.

1863.  Watts, Dict. Chem. V. 919. The root of Canna speciosa,… in West Africa, is said to be exactly similar to East Indian turmeric-root, in taste, smell, and chemical reactions.

1880.  J. Dunbar, Pract. Papermaker, 70. *Turmeric test paper.

1866.  Treas. Bot., 1249/2. One [species of Zieria] common at Illawarra, and there called *Turmeric-tree, has a very yellow inner bark, suitable for dyeing.

1913.  J. G. Frazer, Gold. Bough, I. II. vi. 68. Smeared with *turmeric water, they all bathe and return home.

  B.  adj. Chem. Obtained from turmeric: in turmeric acid, an acid, C₁₁H₁₄O₂, formed by the oxidation of turmerol.