moxa

Where does the word "moxa" come from? It comes from Japanese mogusa, passing through Dutch before entering English (1675).

Moxa’s story begins in Japanese: mogusa meant “dried mugwort used for burning treatments.” The native name for dried mugwort burned on the skin in traditional medicine. By 1670s, the word had taken hold in Dutch as moxa. Shortened and carried into European medical writing by a Dutch minister describing the remedy from Japan. It reached English by 1675 as moxa. From Japanese 'mogusa', dried mugwort; the Dutch physician Willem ten Rhijne described it. Today, moxa means dried mugwort burned on or near the skin in the traditional therapy called moxibustion.

1. Stage 1 · Japanese · medieval mogusa "dried mugwort used for burning treatments", the native name for dried mugwort burned on the skin in traditional medicine.
2. Stage 2 · Dutch · 1670s moxa "combustible dried herb used for therapeutic burning", shortened and carried into European medical writing by a Dutch minister describing the remedy from Japan.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1675 moxa "a dried herb burned on or near the skin in traditional therapy", from Japanese 'mogusa', dried mugwort; the Dutch physician Willem ten Rhijne described it.