Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Japanese ·1960s
Ramen
from ラーメン (rāmen)
- Meaning
- A Japanese soup of wheat noodles in broth.
- Source word
- ラーメン (rāmen)
- Route into English
- Japanese *rāmen* (from Chinese *lāmiàn*, "pulled noodles") → English via post-WWII Japan → global familiarity through instant ramen and 2000s ramen shops.
- Arrived
- 1960s
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.
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