Arabic zaʽfarān passed through Medieval Latin and Anglo-French before entering English.
The source also gives Anglo-French saffron and an intervening Middle English stage. Coexisting spellings are not ordered against each other here.
Sources
- Merriam-Webster: saffron
Word History supplies the Arabic, Medieval Latin and Anglo-French route into Middle English.
- Centre National de Ressources Textuelles et Lexicales · safran
Meanings of the older forms on the word path.
- logeion.uchicago.edu · safranum
Meanings of the older forms on the word path.