Back to all words

Chayote

3 stages from Nahuatl to English.

Today it means a pale green, pear-shaped edible squash used in Latin American and Caribbean cooking

Where does the word "chayote" come from? It comes from Nahuatl chayotli, passing through Spanish before entering English (1880s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
chayotli
Nahuatl · pre-1500s
"a spiny edible squash"
named for the pear-shaped edible gourd
2
Stage 2 of 3
chayote
Spanish · 1600s
"a green, pear-shaped squash"
Spanish colonists adopted the Nahuatl name for the vegetable
3
Stage 3 of 3
chayote
English · 1880s
"a mild-flavored edible gourd of the squash family"
borrowed into English as the vegetable spread through Latin American cuisine
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom