salsa

Where does the word "salsa" come from? It comes from Spanish salsa, passing through Cuban/Puerto Rican Spanish before entering English (1970s-1980s).

Salsa’s story begins in Spanish: salsa meant “sauce.” Meaning "sauce", from Latin "salsus" (salted). By 1960s-1970s, the word had taken hold in Cuban/Puerto Rican Spanish as salsa. Applied metaphorically to a spicy, energetic Latin music and dance genre. It reached English by 1970s-1980s as salsa. Adopted for both the music genre and the spicy tomato-based condiment. Today, salsa means a lively Latin American dance and music style, or a spicy tomato-based sauce.

1. Stage 1 · Spanish · medieval salsa "sauce", meaning "sauce", from Latin "salsus" (salted).
2. Stage 2 · Cuban/Puerto Rican Spanish · 1960s-1970s salsa "a lively Latin music and dance genre", applied metaphorically to a spicy, energetic Latin music and dance genre.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1970s-1980s salsa "a Latin dance style; a spicy sauce", adopted for both the music genre and the spicy tomato-based condiment.