fattoush

Where does the word "fattoush" come from? It comes from Arabic fatt, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).

Fattoush’s story begins in Arabic: fatt meant “crumbs, crushed bread.” Crumbs, crushed bread, describing toasted flatbread mixed into a salad. It reached English by 1900s as fattoush. Arabic 'fatt', crumbs, from the toasted flatbread pieces. Today, fattoush means a Levantine salad made with toasted or fried pieces of flatbread and fresh vegetables.

1. Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval fatt "crumbs, crushed bread", crumbs, crushed bread, describing toasted flatbread mixed into a salad.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1900s fattoush "a Levantine salad with toasted or fried flatbread", Arabic 'fatt', crumbs, from the toasted flatbread pieces.