1
Stage 1 of 3
tzictli
Nahuatl · pre-1500s
"sticky sap, chewing gum"
named the gum chewed from the sapodilla tree's sap
2
Stage 2 of 3
chicle
Spanish · 1600s
"the natural gum of the sapodilla tree"
adopted into Mexican Spanish for the sapodilla tree's latex
3
Stage 3 of 3
chicle
English · 1860s
"a natural latex used as the base for chewing gum"
entered English when the gum was exported to the U.S. and became the base of early chewing gum
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom