When the term jungle was first introduced into the English language in 1776, it initially referred to the swampy regions located at the foot of the Himalayan mountains. However, by 1849, the definition of the word had expanded to encompass any area characterized by dense vegetation. Interestingly, the origin of the word can be traced back to the Hindi and Marathi word jangal, which originally meant “desert”! Over time, this term evolved to denote “wasteland” and eventually came to include marshy areas similar to those encountered by the British in India, with its meaning gradually shifting towards densely populated forests. The Sanskrit word jangala, from which jangal is derived, translates to “arid” and has uncertain, potentially Dravidian roots. The expression jungle gym is linked to a company established in 1921, while jungle fever in reference to an ailment dates back to 1803.
