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kon·jac

(kŏnyăk′)

1. A perennial aroid plant (Amorphophallus konjac) of East and Southeast Asia having a single large compound leaf, a purple or dark red spathe, and starchy corms.

2. The edible corm of this plant or the starch derived from it, sometimes used as a dietary supplement. In both senses also called devil's tongue, konnyaku.

[Ultimately from Japanese konnyaku, from Early Middle Chinese kuə̆' ᶮak : kuə̆', betel leaf (also the source of Mandarin jǔ) + ᶮak, rush used to make mats (also the source of Mandarin ruò).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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