鬱金

Related to Persian کرکم (kurkum, “saffron”) (suggested as possible by Pulleyblank (1962)). Most likely ultimately from Sanskrit कुङ्कुम (kuṅkuma, “saffron”). Compare Khotanese [script needed] (kurkuma-, “saffron, crocus”), Tocharian B kurkamäṣṣi (“of saffron”), Sogdian [script needed] (kwrkwnph, “saffron”), Tibetan གུར་གུམ (gur gum, “saffron”)

鬱金

1. turmeric (Curcuma longa, Curcuma aromatica, etc.) or its tuberous root (used as an herb in traditional Chinese medicine)

/uk̚koɴ/ → /ukoɴ/

Shift from ukkon below.

• (Tokyo) うこん [ùkóń] (Heiban – [0])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟kõ̞ɴ]

鬱(う)金(こん) or 鬱金(ウコン) • (ukon) 

1. the turmeric, Curcuma longa

   Synonyms: 黄染草 (kizomegusa), ターメリック (tāmerikku)

   Hypernym: 生姜 (shōga)

2. a dye extracted from the rhizome of the turmeric
3. short for 鬱金色 (ukon-iro): saffron yellow
4. short for 鬱金桜 (ukonzakura): a 里桜 (satozakura) cultivar, Prunus lannesiana
5. (traditional Chinese medicine) rhizome of Curcuma longa used in medicine

As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as ウコン (ukon).

/utɨ komʉ/ → /uk̚komʉ/ → /uk̚koɴ/

From Middle Chinese 鬱金 (MC 'jut kim).

鬱(うっ)金(こん) or 鬱金(ウッコン) • (ukkon) 

1. (archaic) the turmeric, Curcuma longa
2. short for 鬱金色 (ukkon-iro): saffron yellow
3. short for 鬱金香 (ukkonkō): a tulip

• 鬱(ウッ)金(コン)香(コウ) (ukkonkō, “tulip”)
• 鬱(ウッ)金(コン)草(ソウ)樹(ジュ) (ukkonsōju, “tulip tree”)