dosa

Where does the word "dosa" come from? It comes from Tamil dosai, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).

Dosa’s story begins in Tamil: dosai meant “a fermented rice crepe.” A thin, crispy crepe made from fermented rice and lentil batter. It reached English by 1900s as dosa. A staple of South India, often served with sambar and coconut chutney. Today, dosa means a thin, crispy South Indian crepe made from a fermented rice and lentil batter.

1. Stage 1 · Tamil · medieval dosai "a fermented rice crepe", a thin, crispy crepe made from fermented rice and lentil batter.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1900s dosa "a thin South Indian crepe made from fermented batter", a staple of South India, often served with sambar and coconut chutney.