GALANGAL

noun Etymology: Middle English galingale, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin galingala, galanga, from Arabic khalanjān, khulūnjān Date: 13th century either of two eastern Asian perennial herbs ( Alpinia galanga and A. officinarum ) of the ginger family with dark green sword-shaped leaves and pungent aromatic rhizomes, the fresh, dried, or ground rhizome of a ~ used in cookery as a spice and in medicine