1742: Franks and frankincense Sep 21, 2019

'Frank' has meant many things over the years, from 'honest and direct' today to 'free' in the past relating to the political stature of the historical Franks. However, it is also present, from the same etymology, in 'frankincense': a plant from Somalia. 'Frankincense' is mentioned a fair amount in the Bible. This is because 'frank' also meant 'high-quality; superior' in the past, again relating to the Franks. Literally the name would just mean 'high-quality incense' therefore. In the Bible, the name is לבונה (levona/lebonah), from a root meaning 'white'.