callaloo

Where does the word "callaloo" come from? It comes from West African kalulu, and was adopted directly into English (1770s).

Callaloo’s story begins in West African: kalulu meant “a leafy green vegetable dish.” A leafy green vegetable dish, carried to the Caribbean through the Atlantic slave trade. It reached English by 1770s as callaloo. Settled as the Caribbean English word for the leafy vegetable stew. Today, callaloo means a Caribbean dish made from leafy green vegetables, often cooked with coconut milk.

1. Stage 1 · West African · 1700s kalulu "a leafy green vegetable dish", a leafy green vegetable dish, carried to the Caribbean through the Atlantic slave trade.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1770s callaloo "a Caribbean leafy green vegetable dish", settled as the Caribbean English word for the leafy vegetable stew.