lucuma

Where does the word "lucuma" come from? It comes from Quechua rucma, passing through Spanish before entering English (1900s).

Lucuma’s story begins in Quechua: rucma meant “an Andean fruit with sweet, dense flesh.” Named the sweet, egg-yolk colored Andean fruit. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in Spanish as lúcuma. Lúcuma ice cream is one of Peru's most popular flavours. It reached English by 1900s as lucuma. Borrowed into English through Peruvian cuisine and, more recently, the health-food market. Today, lucuma means a sweet, dense-fleshed Andean fruit prized for flavoring ice cream and desserts, especially in Peru.

1. Stage 1 · Quechua · pre-1500s rucma "an Andean fruit with sweet, dense flesh", named the sweet, egg-yolk colored Andean fruit.
2. Stage 2 · Spanish · 1600s lúcuma "a sweet Andean fruit used in desserts", lúcuma ice cream is one of Peru's most popular flavours.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1900s lucuma "a sweet, dense Andean fruit used to flavor ice cream and desserts", borrowed into English through Peruvian cuisine and, more recently, the health-food market.