Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Chinese ·1960s
Lo mein
from 撈麵 (lāo miàn)
- Meaning
- Chinese noodles tossed in sauce, served soft.
- Source word
- 撈麵 (lāo miàn)
- Route into English
- Cantonese *lou mihn* ("tossed noodle") → English via Chinese restaurants in the mid-20th-century US. Distinguished from chow mein by the cooking method, not the noodle type.
- Arrived
- 1960s
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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