Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Drag to rotate
Tracing “”…
Where does the word "paddy" come from? It comes from Malay padi, and was adopted directly into English (1600s-1700s).
Read the full story
Where does the word "paddy" come from? It comes from Malay padi, and was adopted directly into English (1600s-1700s).
Paddy’s story begins in Malay: padi meant “unmilled rice.” The name for rice still in the husk, growing in a flooded field. It reached English by 1600s-1700s as paddy. Malay 'padi', rice in the husk. Today, paddy means a flooded field in which rice is grown.
- Stage 1 · Malay · medieval padi "unmilled rice", the name for rice still in the husk, growing in a flooded field.
- Stage 2 · English · 1600s-1700s paddy "a flooded field used for growing rice", Malay 'padi', rice in the husk.