ackee

Where does the word "ackee" come from? It comes from Akan (Twi) ankye, and was adopted directly into English (1800s).

Ackee’s story begins in Akan (Twi): ankye meant “the ackee fruit tree.” A tree bearing a fruit that is a staple of Jamaican cuisine when properly prepared. It reached English by 1800s as ackee. Carried to Jamaica through the Atlantic slave trade and adopted into Jamaican English. Today, ackee means a tropical fruit, the national fruit of Jamaica, poisonous unless ripe and properly prepared.

1. Stage 1 · Akan (Twi) · 1700s ankye "the ackee fruit tree", a tree bearing a fruit that is a staple of Jamaican cuisine when properly prepared.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1800s ackee "a tropical fruit central to Jamaican cuisine", carried to Jamaica through the Atlantic slave trade and adopted into Jamaican English.