English word origin

Etymology of kali

From Arabic قِلْي (qily). See alkali.

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

The prickly glasswort (Kali turgidum, syn. of Salsola kali). · Alkali, particularly soda ash or potash.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Arabic قِلْي (qily). See alkali.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mentionقِلْيar
Root classification mentionق ل يar

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "قِلْي"
      },
      "expansion": "Arabic قِلْي (qily)"
    },
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "ق ل ي"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "قِلْي",
      "قلي#Arabic"
    ],
    [
      "alkali",
      "alkali#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "The prickly glasswort (Kali turgidum, syn. of Salsola kali).",
        "Alkali, particularly soda ash or potash."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "8edf2e1a016164da12ad292311db27b89a4029d767b790e4ffeff5267e8486ad",
      "rawRecordSha256": "9406a089c6eeef312fbf49300af69bfd529f73c71f015b4f30866bc6cb4615b4",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 27805
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Traditional Philippine stick fighting, a martial art.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Uncertain; see arnis#Name at Wikipedia for more.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {
        "1": "arnis"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "unc",
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Uncertain"
    }
  ],
  "links": [],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Traditional Philippine stick fighting, a martial art."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "6d8c63fe3040a70ff5c21c6e705674e22dd71eb947e55f4e721be41428bf2077",
      "rawRecordSha256": "eae5cf320c9f34ea135e9b52b1ed51fd673fc14153aa016d28f09c3c5f90fc6a",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 27806
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

A type of British crystalline sweet or candy, similar in appearance to sherbet but made with larger sugar crystals.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Uncertain; possibly a reference to the appearance of soda ash produced by burning kali (Etymology 1).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "unc",
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Uncertain"
    }
  ],
  "links": [],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A type of British crystalline sweet or candy, similar in appearance to sherbet but made with larger sugar crystals."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "b01a5936cbe32414d3d40a3e545aa058c6053b2f76392c4310fc1e496d28b4fe",
      "rawRecordSha256": "f9aa25e85ce1f43184a8a95804b1abaa143706cc63e898c3b53d3e9d4e142d16",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 27807
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for kali →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-a2FsaQ