Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Drag to rotate
Tracing “”…
Where does the word "jicama" come from? It comes from Nahuatl xicamatl, passing through Spanish before entering English (1900s).
Read the full story
Where does the word "jicama" come from? It comes from Nahuatl xicamatl, passing through Spanish before entering English (1900s).
Jicama’s story begins in Nahuatl: xicamatl meant “jicama root.” The name for the crisp, edible root vegetable. By 1500s-1600s, the word had taken hold in Spanish as jicama. Nahuatl 'xicamatl'. It reached English by 1900s as jicama. Popular raw in Mexican street food with lime and chilli. Today, jicama means a crisp, sweet-tasting root vegetable used raw or cooked.
- Stage 1 · Nahuatl · pre-1500s xicamatl "jicama root", the name for the crisp, edible root vegetable.
- Stage 2 · Spanish · 1500s-1600s jicama "jicama root", Nahuatl 'xicamatl'.
- Stage 3 · English · 1900s jicama "a crisp, sweet root vegetable", popular raw in Mexican street food with lime and chilli.