1742: Franks and frankincense Sep 21, 2019

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'Frank' has meant many things over the years, from 'honest and direct' today to 'free' in the past [1] 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'.

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