ceviche

Where does the word "ceviche" come from? It comes from Quechua siwichi, passing through Spanish before entering English (1900s).

Ceviche’s story begins in Quechua: siwichi meant “fresh fish.” Possibly meaning fresh fish, describing raw fish cured in citrus juice. By 1800s, the word had taken hold in Spanish as ceviche. Peru, where it is a national dish, has a national Ceviche Day on 28 June. It reached English by 1900s as ceviche. Recorded in English from the early 1950s; the Spanish word is first documented in 1820 in the Peruvian patriotic song 'La Chicha'. Today, ceviche means a dish of raw fish or seafood cured in citrus juice.

1. Stage 1 · Quechua · medieval siwichi "fresh fish", possibly meaning fresh fish, describing raw fish cured in citrus juice.
2. Stage 2 · Spanish · 1800s ceviche "raw seafood cured in citrus juice", Peru, where it is a national dish, has a national Ceviche Day on 28 June.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1900s ceviche "a dish of raw seafood cured in citrus juice", recorded in English from the early 1950s; the Spanish word is first documented in 1820 in the Peruvian patriotic song 'La Chicha'.