bao

Where does the word "bao" come from? It comes from Chinese bao, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).

Bao’s story begins in Chinese: bao meant “a steamed bun.” A soft, steamed bun, often filled with meat or vegetables. It reached English by 1900s as bao. 'gua bao' buns became a trend after New York restaurants such as Momofuku served them in the 2000s. Today, bao means a soft, steamed Chinese bun, often filled with meat or vegetables.

1. Stage 1 · Chinese · medieval bao "a steamed bun", a soft, steamed bun, often filled with meat or vegetables.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1900s bao "a soft, steamed Chinese bun", 'gua bao' buns became a trend after New York restaurants such as Momofuku served them in the 2000s.