edamame

Where does the word "edamame" come from? It comes from Japanese eda + mame, and was adopted directly into English (1900s-2000s).

Edamame’s story begins in Japanese: eda + mame meant “branch bean.” Combining "eda" (branch) and "mame" (bean). It reached English by 1900s-2000s as edamame. Japanese 'branch beans', since they were sold still on the stem. Today, edamame means immature soybeans, typically boiled or steamed and served in their pods.

1. Stage 1 · Japanese · medieval eda + mame "branch bean", combining "eda" (branch) and "mame" (bean).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1900s-2000s edamame "young soybeans, often served boiled and salted", Japanese 'branch beans', since they were sold still on the stem.