attalea
|at-ta-le-a|
/əˈtæliə/
palm genus (named after Attaleia/Attalus)
Etymology
'attalea' originates from New Latin (botanical Latin), specifically the word 'Attalea', which ultimately comes from Greek 'Attaleia' (Ἀττάλεια), a place name associated with King Attalus.
'attalea' was taken from the Greek place-name 'Attaleia', which was Latinized as 'Attalia' or 'Attalea', and the form 'Attalea' was later adopted as the botanical genus name in the 19th century (for example by botanists working in that period).
Initially it referred to the place name 'Attaleia' (i.e., 'of Attalus' or 'pertaining to Attaleia'), but over time the term became used in botanical Latin as the name of a genus of palms and now primarily denotes that genus.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a genus of palms in the family Arecaceae; a group of tropical American palm species classified under the genus Attalea.
Several species of Attalea occur throughout Central and South America.
Noun 2
a palm tree belonging to the genus Attalea (any individual species of that genus).
The oil extracted from Attalea seeds is used locally for cooking and soap making.
Last updated: 2025/11/14 23:58