Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Japanese ·1980s
Bento
from 弁当 (bentō)
- Meaning
- A Japanese single-portion boxed meal.
- Source word
- 弁当 (bentō)
- Route into English
- Japanese *bentō* (convenience, portioned meal, possibly from the Chinese *biàndāng*) → English via Japanese restaurants and convenience-store culture in the late 20th century.
- Arrived
- 1980s
From Japanese
Two waves — Meiji-era diplomatic contact (1850s–1900s) and post-war US military presence (1945–) account for almost all Japanese loans in general English.
English borrows.
Browse the full loanword atlas or explore another source language.