sago

Where does the word "sago" come from? It comes from Malay sagu, and was adopted directly into English (1550s).

Sago’s story begins in Malay: sagu meant “palm starch.” Starch from the pith of the sago palm, a staple food in the Moluccas and New Guinea; Antonio Pigafetta, chronicler of Magellan's voyage, recorded sago bread in the Moluccas in 1521. It reached English by 1550s as sago. Arrived through Portuguese traders' accounts; sago pudding later became a fixture of Victorian nursery food. Today, sago means a starch from the pith of the sago palm, used in puddings.

1. Stage 1 · Malay · medieval sagu "palm starch", starch from the pith of the sago palm, a staple food in the Moluccas and New Guinea; Antonio Pigafetta, chronicler of Magellan's voyage, recorded sago bread in the Moluccas in 1521.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1550s sago "palm starch", arrived through Portuguese traders' accounts; sago pudding later became a fixture of Victorian nursery food.