mochi

Where does the word "mochi" come from? It comes from Japanese mochi, and was adopted directly into English (late 1900s-2000s).

Mochi’s story begins in Japanese: mochi meant “pounded glutinous rice cake.” Named rice pounded into a sticky, chewy cake, tied to New Year traditions. It reached English by late 1900s-2000s as mochi. Borrowed as Japanese sweets, including mochi ice cream, spread internationally. Today, mochi means a soft, chewy Japanese rice cake, often filled with sweet paste or ice cream.

1. Stage 1 · Japanese · ancient mochi "pounded glutinous rice cake", named rice pounded into a sticky, chewy cake, tied to New Year traditions.
2. Stage 2 · English · late 1900s-2000s mochi "a chewy rice cake, often filled with sweet paste or ice cream", borrowed as Japanese sweets, including mochi ice cream, spread internationally.