Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Chinese ·1690s
Ketchup
from kê-tsiap (Hokkien)
- Meaning
- A fermented fish sauce.
- Source word
- kê-tsiap (Hokkien)
- Route into English
- British sailors encountered it in the 17th century; English cooks tried to reproduce it with mushrooms, walnuts, and finally tomatoes. Only the tomato version survived.
- Arrived
- 1690s
From Chinese
Trade English from the South China Sea ports (especially Hokkien-speaking Xiamen and Canton) seeded the early borrowings; 20th-century diplomacy and military contact added the rest.
English borrows.
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