chia

Where does the word "chia" come from? It comes from Nahuatl chian, passing through Spanish before entering English (1900s-2000s).

Chia’s story begins in Nahuatl: chian meant “chia seed.” The name for the small, nutrient-dense seed. By 1500s-1600s, the word had taken hold in Spanish as chia. The Aztecs grew chia as a staple crop and paid tribute in it. It reached English by 1900s-2000s as chia. The 'Chia Pet' novelty of the 1980s made the name widely known in the US. Today, chia means a small, nutrient-dense edible seed from a flowering plant.

1. Stage 1 · Nahuatl · pre-1500s chian "chia seed", the name for the small, nutrient-dense seed.
2. Stage 2 · Spanish · 1500s-1600s chia "chia seed", the Aztecs grew chia as a staple crop and paid tribute in it.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1900s-2000s chia "a small, nutrient-rich edible seed", the 'Chia Pet' novelty of the 1980s made the name widely known in the US.