potato

Where does the word "potato" come from? It comes from Taíno batata, passing through Spanish before entering English (c. 1560s).

Potato’s story begins in Taíno: batata meant “sweet potato.” Originally referred to the sweet potato, not the white potato. By c. 1500s, the word had taken hold in Spanish as patata. The word blended with Quechua "papa" for the Andean tuber. It reached English by c. 1560s as potato. Eventually settled onto the Andean white potato specifically. Today, potato means a starchy edible tuber, a staple vegetable crop.

1. Stage 1 · Taíno · pre-1500s batata "sweet potato", originally referred to the sweet potato, not the white potato.
2. Stage 2 · Spanish · c. 1500s patata "potato or sweet potato", the word blended with Quechua "papa" for the Andean tuber.
3. Stage 3 · English · c. 1560s potato "the potato tuber", eventually settled onto the Andean white potato specifically.