nori

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

Nori’s story begins in Japanese: nori meant “dried edible seaweed.” Dried edible seaweed, used to wrap sushi. It reached English by 1900s as nori. Red algae farmed in Tokyo Bay since the Edo period; Kathleen Drew-Baker's 1949 research saved the industry. Today, nori means dried, pressed edible seaweed used to wrap sushi and in other Japanese dishes.

1. Stage 1 · Japanese · medieval nori "dried edible seaweed", dried edible seaweed, used to wrap sushi.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1900s nori "dried edible seaweed used in Japanese cooking", red algae farmed in Tokyo Bay since the Edo period; Kathleen Drew-Baker's 1949 research saved the industry.