köken: From pam- + banas, with initial reduplication.
Tamilceபெரிபெரி
Telugucaబెరిబెరి
Bengalceবেরিবেরি
Esperantoberibero
Etimoloji
Late 17th century, from Dutch berebery (1612), beriberij (1631), possibly through French béribéri (1665). The Dutch is either from Portuguese berebere (1568) or directly from a language of Southeast Asia. The ultimate origin is usually identified as Sinhalese බැරි (bæri, “weakness, incapacity”). An older theory connects it with Malay biri-biri (“sheep”, a supposedly dull and weak animal).