2902: Carat and Carob Dec 1, 2024

The words "carat" and "karat", both units of weight used in measuring gemstones and gold, actually trace their origins to the humble carob tree. The carob seeds, which were used in the ancient world on account of their fairly  consistent weight, were used as a natural standard for measuring small quantities. In fact, the term "carat" is derived from the Greek word κερατωνία (keratonia), meaning "fruit of the carob tree". This is related to ‘keratin’, but not for any specific reason. κεράτιον (keration) means ‘horned’ and is natively Greek, but as it relates to the carob fruit, it was reinforced by a Semitic root, related to the Arabic  قَرَظ (qaraz) referring to another type of tree, the acacia.