nasi goreng

Where does the word "nasi goreng" come from? It comes from Indonesian/Malay nasi goreng, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).

Nasi goreng’s story begins in Indonesian/Malay: nasi goreng meant “fried rice.” Literally fried rice, from nasi (rice) and goreng (fried). It reached English by 1900s as nasi goreng. Indonesian 'fried rice'; Dutch colonists spread it in the Netherlands. Today, nasi goreng means an Indonesian dish of fried rice, typically with meat, vegetables, and spices.

1. Stage 1 · Indonesian/Malay · medieval nasi goreng "fried rice", literally fried rice, from nasi (rice) and goreng (fried).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1900s nasi goreng "Indonesian-style fried rice", Indonesian 'fried rice'; Dutch colonists spread it in the Netherlands.