puri

Where does the word "puri" come from? It comes from Sanskrit pura, passing through Hindi before entering English (1830s).

Puri’s story begins in Sanskrit: pura meant “a small filled cake.” Related to 'full', named a small filled cake. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Hindi as puri. Became the name of a deep-fried puffed bread. It reached English by 1830s as puri. British writers on Indian food adopted the word. Today, puri means a small, round, unleavened bread that puffs up when deep-fried, common across South Asia.

1. Stage 1 · Sanskrit · ancient pura "a small filled cake", related to 'full', named a small filled cake.
2. Stage 2 · Hindi · medieval puri "a small deep-fried puffed bread", became the name of a deep-fried puffed bread.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1830s puri "a small, round, unleavened bread that puffs up when fried", British writers on Indian food adopted the word.