kudzu

Where does the word "kudzu" come from? It comes from Japanese kuzu, and was adopted directly into English (1876).

Kudzu’s story begins in Japanese: kuzu meant “a fast-growing climbing vine.” The native name for the climbing vine and its edible starch. It reached English by 1876 as kudzu. Introduced to Americans at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition as an ornamental and forage plant. Today, kudzu means a fast-spreading invasive vine, notorious in the American South for overrunning land.

1. Stage 1 · Japanese · ancient kuzu "a fast-growing climbing vine", the native name for the climbing vine and its edible starch.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1876 kudzu "an invasive fast-growing vine", introduced to Americans at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition as an ornamental and forage plant.