koi

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

Koi’s story begins in Japanese: koi meant “carp.” The Japanese word for carp. It reached English by 1900s as koi. Adopted for the ornamental, colorful carp variety. Today, koi means a colorful, ornamental variety of carp bred for ponds.

1. Stage 1 · Japanese · medieval koi "carp", the Japanese word for carp.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1900s koi "an ornamental variety of carp", adopted for the ornamental, colorful carp variety.