borscht

Where does the word "borscht" come from? It comes from Russian borshch, and was adopted directly into English (1867).

Borscht’s story begins in Russian: borshch meant “cow parsnip; later, beet soup.” Originally referred to cow parsnip, an ingredient in the original recipe, later the beet-based soup. It reached English by 1867 as borscht. Ukrainian borshch is the original; Jewish immigrants brought it to America. Today, borscht means a soup made primarily from beets, associated with Russian and Eastern European cuisine.

1. Stage 1 · Russian · medieval borshch "cow parsnip; later, beet soup", originally referred to cow parsnip, an ingredient in the original recipe, later the beet-based soup.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1867 borscht "a beet-based soup", Ukrainian borshch is the original; Jewish immigrants brought it to America.