Definition of jungle

The origin of the word "jungle" can be traced back to the Indian subcontinent, where it initially referred to a dense, wild region of vegetation. The word is derived from the Kannada and Telugu language "bedtha," which translates to "uncultivated wilderness." The British, who colonized parts of India, brought the term "jungle" to their colonies in Southeast Asia, where it gained popularity. The term was used to describe the dense, humid rainforests of Southeast Asia that were home to a plethora of exotic wildlife and vegetation. In English, the first recorded use of the word "jungle" to refer to such rainforests was in 1838, in the context of the East Indies (present-day Indonesia). The word was popularized by authors such as Rudyard Kipling, who used it in his novel "The Jungle Book" (1894) and in his poem "Barrack-Room Ballads" (1892). Since then, the meaning of the word "jungle" has expanded to refer to any wild, unruly, or confusing environment or situation that resembles the dense, tangled foliage of a rainforest. It is now widely used in English to describe everything from crowded urban streets to complex business environments.