Etymology Map
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Sago

2 stages from Malay to English.

Today it means a starch from the pith of the sago palm, used in puddings

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

1
Stage 1 of 2
sagu
Malay · medieval
"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 of 2
sago
English · 1550s
"palm starch"
arrived through Portuguese traders' accounts; sago pudding later became a fixture of Victorian nursery food
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Read the full story

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.