Etymology Map
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Manti

4 stages from Chinese to English.

Today it means small Turkish dumplings filled with meat, served with yogurt

Where does the word "manti" come from? It comes from Chinese mántou, passing through Turkic and Turkish before entering English (2000s).

1
Stage 1 of 4
mántou
Chinese · medieval
"steamed bun"
a steamed bun, which travelled west along the Silk Road
2
Stage 2 of 4
mantı
Turkic · medieval
"dumpling"
Central Asian Turks made it a filled dumpling; Korean 'mandu' comes from the same word
3
Stage 3 of 4
mantı
Turkish · 1400s-1500s
"tiny dumplings"
Kayseri is famous for mantı so tiny that forty should fit on one spoon
4
Stage 4 of 4
manti
English · 2000s
"Turkish dumplings"
entered English through Turkish and Central Asian restaurants
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Read the full story

Manti’s story begins in Chinese: mántou meant “steamed bun.” A steamed bun, which travelled west along the Silk Road. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Turkic as mantı. Central Asian Turks made it a filled dumpling; Korean 'mandu' comes from the same word. From there it passed into Turkish as mantı by 1400s-1500s. Kayseri is famous for mantı so tiny that forty should fit on one spoon. It reached English by 2000s as manti. Entered English through Turkish and Central Asian restaurants. Today, manti means small Turkish dumplings filled with meat, served with yogurt.