boba

Where does the word "boba" come from? It comes from Taiwanese Mandarin bōbà, and was adopted directly into English (2000s).

Boba’s story begins in Taiwanese Mandarin: bōbà meant “big pearls.” Slang for large tapioca 'pearls'; bubble tea was invented in Taiwan in the 1980s, with both Taichung and Tainan tea shops claiming it. It reached English by 2000s as boba. Spread with Taiwanese immigrants and tea shops across the United States and beyond. Today, boba means a chewy tapioca pearl in bubble tea; bubble tea.

1. Stage 1 · Taiwanese Mandarin · 1980s bōbà "big pearls", slang for large tapioca 'pearls'; bubble tea was invented in Taiwan in the 1980s, with both Taichung and Tainan tea shops claiming it.
2. Stage 2 · English · 2000s boba "bubble tea", spread with Taiwanese immigrants and tea shops across the United States and beyond.