quinoa

Where does the word "quinoa" come from? It comes from Quechua kinwa, passing through Spanish before entering English (1900s-2000s).

Quinoa’s story begins in Quechua: kinwa meant “quinoa grain.” The name for the nutrient-rich grain crop of the Andes. By 1500s-1600s, the word had taken hold in Spanish as quinoa. The Inca called it 'chisaya mama', mother of all grains. It reached English by 1900s-2000s as quinoa. The UN declared 2013 the International Year of Quinoa. Today, quinoa means a protein-rich grain crop native to the Andes, used as a cereal or side dish.

1. Stage 1 · Quechua · pre-1500s kinwa "quinoa grain", the name for the nutrient-rich grain crop of the Andes.
2. Stage 2 · Spanish · 1500s-1600s quinoa "quinoa grain", the Inca called it 'chisaya mama', mother of all grains.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1900s-2000s quinoa "a protein-rich grain crop", the UN declared 2013 the International Year of Quinoa.